After one full year, Japan has continued the ban on the import of US beef and beef products from the United States. The ban began in December 2003, when a single case of BSE was discovered in Washington State. While there have been BSE scares, there has been no further discovery of the disease. Before the ban, Japan was a billion dollar customer of US packers, who had hoped that after a year, beef exports to Japan would begin again.

While Japan was the largest importer of US beef, some 40 other countries, including Taiwan, banned the imports of US beef and beef products.

 

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