Report: Japan preparing to relax beef import restrictions
According to Bloomberg news reports, Japan is preparing to ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports in the wake of a drop in domestic cattle production after the country's earthquake-related nuclear disasters.
Currently, Japan restricts beef imports to cattle aged 20 months or younger, a policy that has been in place since the occurance of mad cow disease in the United States in 2003. Two ministry officials who declined to be named said that the Japanese government is considering raising the age limit to 30 months,