09/22/05 Pressuring Japan to allow beef imports

Japan is one of Idaho's largest trading partners but for the past 20 months beef hasn't been part of the equation. US lawmakers are fed up with the Japanese beef ban and that's why the Senate just voted on two separate measures that effectively prevents Japanese beef from coming into the US. Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns told the Senate Ag Committee yesterday that Japan had its chances to lift the ban. JOHANNS "I warned Japan. You know I said to them over and over again there's a point at which folks on the Hill are going to lose patience." Both US Trade Representative Rob Portman and Johanns talked to the Japanese about the embargo. PORTMAN "You know as we pushed them on process and walked through all the science based reasoning on our side I think were looking at the end of a process rather than their ability to continue to delay." JOHANNS "I sat down with the new ag minister and we literally went through their chart of the process to reopen the border and quite simply they're running out of process." Johanns and Portman also told Senators about their efforts to conclude the latest round of World Trade Organization talks. They insist they want a trade agreement that will increase markets for US agricultural products. Voice of Idaho Agriculture Bill Scott