The United States has agreed to Tokyo's request that it accept Japanese inspectors at U.S. meatpacking plants, the government said Tuesday.
The step paves the way for talks on easier terms for Japanese imports of U.S. beef and avoids the beef row emerging as a major issue at the upcoming bilateral summit.
The two countries agreed that if Japan's inspectors find no problems at U.S. meatpacking plants, it will scrap the requirement of inspecting 100 percent of boxes of beef shipped from U.S. plants, according to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry and the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry.