Japan plans to resume beef exports to the United States after shipments were suspended for more than two years after an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, said Takashi Morigaki, an official at the farm ministry.

At the same time, Tokyo is evaluating whether to ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports, imposed to safeguard against mad-cow disease, Makato Osone, an official at the Food Safety Commission said July 18.

The U.S. has acknowledged that Japan is free of foot-and-mouth and will resume imports beginning Aug. 17, according to a statement dated Aug. 3 on the farm ministry's website.