Japan won't ease rules on U.S. beef

By Chikafumi Hodo

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has no immediate plans to ease an age limit rule on U.S. beef imports despite the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) softening its security rating on U.S. and Canadian cattle, a Japanese farm ministry official said on Wednesday.

The OIE's move on Tuesday could revive beef exports from the United States and Canada, curtailed after mad cow disease surfaced.

The Paris-based OIE, which sets guidelines for animal health and meat safety, gave the United States and Canada a "controlled risk" status for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) at its annual general meeting.

"We respect the decision made by the OIE, which is based on scientific grounds, but this doesn't mean Japan will accept its decision and immediately revise conditions for U.S. beef imports," the official said.

The top government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki, told reporters on Wednesday: "This will not immediately lead to changes in conditions for importing."

Currently, Japan accepts U.S. meat from animals 20 months or younger, but U.S. exporters would like to see meat shipped from animals up to 30 months old.

U.S. officials, along with the beef industry, have been pushing Japan to loosen its import rules on beef, hoping to rebuild the beef trade.

They want Japan to accept meat from older animals and also seek an end to mandatory inspections of each box of beef.