Japan | Japanese Beef Tariff Criticized By Australian Ad | The U.S. is not al...

Published: Aug 29, 2003

Japan

Japanese Beef Tariff Criticized By Australian Ad

The U.S. is not alone in its protest of Japan's tariff increase on beef imports: a new advertising campaign created by the Australian Cattle Council criticizes the Japanese tariff hike. The Australian ad displays a medallion of raw beef on a white sushi plate, mimicking the rising sun of the Japanese flag, with the tagline, “Why does Japan put a 50% tariff on our beef? Because it's the best in the world.” The increased tariff is estimated to cost Australian beef producers about $53.1 million a year, according to the Australian Cattle Council said.

While the U.S. beef industry would dispute the Australian claim of “best in the world”, it shares the anger regarding the Japanese tariff increase. Japan is set to raise tariffs on beef imports from 38.5 percent to 50 percent on chilled beef beginning on August 1 as part of a "safeguard" measure to address rapidly increasing beef imports to Japan. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and other international agriculture ministers have strongly urged Japan to forgo this tariff increase, since this year's import figures represent a recovery of beef imports to normal levels following the drastic slump in Japanese beef consumption in 2002 due to Japan's domestic BSE crisis. Even Japanese retailers and restaurant associations have publicly criticized the tariff increase; one estimation projects an annual burden of more than 10 billion yen on Japanese consumers. But Japan's Agriculture Minister Yoshiyki Kamei stated last week that Japan intends to implement the “safeguard” tariff hike on chilled beef despite such international opposition. Frozen beef will not be immediately affected.

Japan is the number one export market for U.S. beef, accounting for $1.028 billion in value in 2002, despite unusually low demand last year due to Japan's BSE outbreak. U.S. beef exports to Japan for 2001 were valued at $1.62 billion, which was more than double the value of the number two market for 2001 - Mexico. U.S. beef (including variety meat) exports to Japan for January-May 2003 increased 30 percent by value over those same months of 2002 for a value of $532 million.

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Japan

Japanese Beef Tariff Criticized By Australian Ad

The U.S. is not alone in its protest of Japan’s tariff increase on beef imports: a new advertising campaign created by the Australian Cattle Council criticizes the Japanese tariff hike. The Australian ad displays a medallion of raw beef on a white sushi plate, mimicking the rising sun of the Japanese flag, with the tagline, “Why does Japan put a 50% tariff on our beef? Because it's the best in the world.” The increased tariff is estimated to cost Australian beef producers about $53.1 million a year, according to the Australian Cattle Council said.

While the U.S. beef industry would dispute the Australian claim of “best in the world”, it shares the anger regarding the Japanese tariff increase. Japan is set to raise tariffs on beef imports from 38.5 percent to 50 percent on chilled beef beginning on August 1 as part of a "safeguard" measure to address rapidly increasing beef imports to Japan. U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman and other international agriculture ministers have strongly urged Japan to forgo this tariff increase, since this year’s import figures represent a recovery of beef imports to normal levels following the drastic slump in Japanese beef consumption in 2002 due to Japan’s domestic BSE crisis. Even Japanese retailers and restaurant associations have publicly criticized the tariff increase; one estimation projects an annual burden of more than 10 billion yen on Japanese consumers. But Japan’s Agriculture Minister Yoshiyki Kamei stated last week that Japan intends to implement the “safeguard” tariff hike on chilled beef despite such international opposition. Frozen beef will not be immediately affected.

Japan is the number one export market for U.S. beef, accounting for $1.028 billion in value in 2002, despite unusually low demand last year due to Japan’s BSE outbreak. U.S. beef exports to Japan for 2001 were valued at $1.62 billion, which was more than double the value of the number two market for 2001 - Mexico. U.S. beef (including variety meat) exports to Japan for January-May 2003 increased 30 percent by value over those same months of 2002 for a value of $532 million.