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U.S. Beef Producers Apologize to Japan

Posted on: Thursday, 26 January 2006, 12:00 CST

A U.S. beef industry official has apologized to Japan for an inexcusable failure to comply with a trade agreement.

The apology comes after Japanese inspectors at Narita Airport found part of a spinal cord in a veal shipment and reinstated a ban on imports of U.S. beef, Kyodo reported Thursday.

Rosemary Mucklow, executive director of the National Meat Association, read a letter at a Washington meeting Tuesday apologizing for the shipment.

The shipment of the product to Japan by one small company that failed to meet the requirements is a major breakdown and is inexcusable, she said.

We'd like to apologize to you for this serious failure on the part of our entire industry, she said, calling it a major setback to the relationship of trust which you have worked so hard to develop with the Japanese government, and a great embarrassment to the many companies in the industry that have worked diligently to support our government in its efforts to reopen this critical market.

We take this failure very seriously, and we will do everything possible to support compliance with the requirements of the agreement, Mucklow said

Source: United Press International

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