Japan and the United States started two days of talks Wednesday in Tokyo to discuss terms for resuming imports of U.S. beef.
At the outset of the meeting, Michitaka Nakatomi, deputy director general of the Foreign Ministry's Economic Affairs Bureau, expressed hope the talks will "cast aside doubts on the credibility of the bilaterally agreed system" for ensuring food safety. "We'd like to exchange frank opinions on what is needed, and have fruitful discussions," he said.
Chuck Lambert, U.S. deputy undersecretary of agriculture for marketing and regulatory programs, said the U.S. Department of Agriculture has completed fresh inspections of 35 meatpackers certified for beef exports to Japan, and that a report on the checks shows those plants "meet requirements to sell in the Japanese market."