Japan indicated its intention to ease import curbs on American beef during a two-day bilateral economic dialogue in Tokyo, a senior U.S. official said Friday.
Japan currently only allows imported U.S. beef from cattle aged 20 months or younger, due to concerns over mad cow disease, and the United States is urging Japan to abolish the age limit.
According to U.S. Undersecretary of Farm and Foreign Agricultural Service Mark Keenum, Japan proposed having its Food Safety Commission study easing the age restrictions to cattle 30 months old and under.