Japan has ended a 20-year ban on Canadian beef imports
Japan has lifted a 20-year ban on the import of Canadian beef, the Canadian Ministry of Agriculture said today, Reuters reports, Politika rs reported.
Japan, like many other nations, restricted imports of Canadian beef after a 2003 case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or "mad cow disease," was discovered in the province of Alberta.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency, with the support of Agriculture and Rural Development Canada, has worked over the past few years to establish the highest standards for beef production and quality assurance in order to reopen full access to key markets such as Japan. Japan is an important market for Canada and the world.
In 2022, the Japanese market for Canadian beef and beef products had an estimated value of US$518 million, largely due to Canada's preferential access. In 2019, Japan approved the import of Canadian beef from cattle older than 30 months.