U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez repeated the U.S. position Friday that American beef is safe from mad cow disease and urged Japan to lift its import ban.
"We are absolutely convinced that our beef is safe," Gutierrez told a breakfast meeting at the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan.
"We have the world's safest food supply and we just want the opportunity to demonstrate that we can deliver the best beef in the world with the right qualification and right standards as Japan requires."