Australia                                  

Australia                                                                                                                                              

New Australian Quarantine Rules Should Expand Imports Of U.S. Pork

Australia’s decision to allow wider pork imports is good news for the U.S. pork industry. Currently, the U.S. can only export cooked pork to Australia, but the new quarantine policy announced today (May 10) should eventually permit the U.S. to send raw pork to Australian processors.

USMEF conducted a market assessment last year (available on disk; contact Molly Penn at mpenn@usmef.org) detailing the market potential. USMEF cooperated with the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council in responses to the pork import risk analysis conducted by the Australian government, which allowed the relaxation of some ofAustralia’s onerous pork import restrictions. The new Australian quarantine regulations are intended to tighten controls on pork imports, but will allow imports from more countries. Although the new rules should significantly increase U.S. pork exports to Australia, they still prevent pork exports to retailers and restaurants. The remaining Australian restrictions are based on concerns, considered groundless by the U.S., about the transmissibility of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS).

Japan                                                                                            

Japan Imports 48.5 Percent Less Beef In March

With the U.S. still excluded from its import market, Japan’s beef imports registered another monthly decline in March. Japan imported 29,135 metric tons (mt) of beef, 48.5 percent less than in March 2003, according to just-released Japanese government statistics. Imports of U.S. beef were negligible (1 mt) due to the ban on U.S. beef resulting from the single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington Statein December. Imports of Australian beef were 7.9 percent lower at 26,147 mt. All but 75 mt of the balance came from New Zealand (205 mt).

Japanese Imports 45.4 Percent More Pork In March

Japan imported 48,296 mt of pork in March, 45.4 percent more than in March 2003, according to Japanese government statistics. Imports of U.S. pork — 15,063 mt — were 8.4 percent higher than March 2003, and the had the largest share of the import market. Imports from Denmark — 13,261 mt — soared 116.8 percent.

Australia                                                                                                                                              

New Australian Quarantine Rules Should Expand Imports Of U.S. Pork

Australia’s decision to allow wider pork imports is good news for the U.S. pork industry. Currently, the U.S. can only export cooked pork to Australia, but the new quarantine policy announced today (May 10) should eventually permit the U.S. to send raw pork to Australian processors.

USMEF conducted a market assessment last year (available on disk; contact Molly Penn at mpenn@usmef.org) detailing the market potential. USMEF cooperated with the National Pork Board and the National Pork Producers Council in responses to the pork import risk analysis conducted by the Australian government, which allowed the relaxation of some ofAustralia’s onerous pork import restrictions. The new Australian quarantine regulations are intended to tighten controls on pork imports, but will allow imports from more countries. Although the new rules should significantly increase U.S. pork exports to Australia, they still prevent pork exports to retailers and restaurants. The remaining Australian restrictions are based on concerns, considered groundless by the U.S., about the transmissibility of Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRRS) and Post Weaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome (PMWS).

Japan                                                                                            

Japan Imports 48.5 Percent Less Beef In March

With the U.S. still excluded from its import market, Japan’s beef imports registered another monthly decline in March. Japan imported 29,135 metric tons (mt) of beef, 48.5 percent less than in March 2003, according to just-released Japanese government statistics. Imports of U.S. beef were negligible (1 mt) due to the ban on U.S. beef resulting from the single case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in Washington Statein December. Imports of Australian beef were 7.9 percent lower at 26,147 mt. All but 75 mt of the balance came from New Zealand (205 mt).

Japanese Imports 45.4 Percent More Pork In March

Japan imported 48,296 mt of pork in March, 45.4 percent more than in March 2003, according to Japanese government statistics. Imports of U.S. pork — 15,063 mt — were 8.4 percent higher than March 2003, and the had the largest share of the import market. Imports from Denmark — 13,261 mt — soared 116.8 percent.