Japan | Report indicates Japanese border opening still a long time away | A J...
Japan
Report indicates Japanese border opening still a long time away
A Japanese mission returned from Kansas and Alberta this week, but its report to government agencies was evidently less than enthusiastic.
A Japanese official told Reuters that the government is unsure about the timing of authorization of imports from the U.S. and Canada. The official noted that the U.S. must make a major effort to establish a standard for certifying the age and origin of cattle, and that Canada, while far ahead in tracing origin, has nothing in its database to indicate date of birth.
U.S. Data On Beef Production Vary According To Farms
TOKYO (Kyodo)--A mission sent by the Japanese government to analyze measures to prevent mad cow disease in North America presented a report Tuesday indicating the need to substantially limit beef imports from the United States even when Japan removes a ban on them, government officials said.
Data on slaughtered cows were found to vary greatly from farm to farm in the United States, they said.
Japanese cattle breeder switched animals' ear tags
A Japanese cattle breeder was arrested Tuesday for selling a calf after falsifying its bloodline by switching ear tags with a pedigreed calf. The breeder, a former politician, reportedly admitted to fraud, according to the Daily Yomiuri.
Ear tags with 10-digit identification numbers were introduced a year ago, and all breeders are required to tag all of their animals. As the Daily Yomiuri pointed out, the fraud "exposed a fundamental flaw in the law that could seriously undermine its credibility."
The breeder evidently switched ear tags from an expensive pedigreed calf he had purchased, which died soon after, to the ear of a non-pedigreed calf of similar age and appearance. The victim later suspected the calf was not what he had thought and asked the National Livestock Breeding Center to test it.
The original sale took place last spring and the suspected fraud was reported to police in late July.
Economy expands, but only marginally
The Asahi Shimbun — The economic growth rate in the July-September period was revised slightly downward from an already weak preliminary report, the government said Wednesday.
The gross domestic product grew an annualized 0.2 percent on a real basis from the previous quarter, down 0.1 percentage point from the preliminary report released on Nov. 12. The economy avoided the contraction that the Cabinet Office's estimates had suggested, however.
The Cabinet Office turned heads on Nov. 18 when its estimates, based on new GDP calculation methods, showed that the economy shrank an annualized 0.1 percent. The new calculation methods, designed to reflect overall price changes more accurately, have been formally adopted from Wednesday's revisions.
Europe
Unfamiliar scrapie strain found in British sheep
Some 80 cases of an unknown strain of scrapie, a disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, have been found in sheep in the United Kingdom, according to Scotsman.com.
Suspicions first centered on BSE jumping to a new species, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that all tests have indicated scrapie, albeit a form of the disease never seen in England before. Other European countries have also reported some cases of an unknown strain of the disease.
South Korea
The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday predicted the economy will grow by 4 percent in 2005 and 4.7 percent this year, lower than its initial forecast of 5.2 percent, saying that economic recovery is not likely before next June and the jobless rate would rise to 3.6 percent next year.
The central bank also predicted the current account surplus would reach $16 billion, lower than the estimate of $27.5 billion in 2004, while consumer price inflation would stand at 3 percent next year, lower than the estimate of 3.6 percent in 2004.
Won-Dollar Rate Near Equilibrium: Gov. Park
The head of the nation’s central bank said Thursday the won-dollar exchange rate nearly reached an equilibrium point, rejecting rampant market expectation the won’s strength will continue to decrease.
During a meeting with reporters, Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Park Seung said the effect of the exchange rate on the economy has calmed and the current rate is thought to have reached equilibrium.
He also pointed out that if the won does not continue to appreciate any more, the local currency market will manage itself without the intervention.
Nation Alert Over Animal Epidemics
Quarantine Strengthened to Prevent Recurrence of Bird Flu
Quarantine authorities have stepped up measures to prevent the outbreak of epidemics of influenza both for humans and animals in South Korea during the winter season.
A bird flu case was reported in Chunchon, Kangwon Province, raising concerns over a possible recurrence of avian influenza, although the case originated from a low-pathogenic virus.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday that a total of 20,000 chickens had died of the disease in the city. It has begun quarantine activities at chicken and duck farmsteads in and around the city.
Russia
PwC Urges Caution in Retail Market Investing
Foreign investors into Russia's retail sector need to be as cautious as they are with Indonesia's, PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded in a study of 14 fast-growing transitional economies.
In the international consulting firm's third annual report on the consumer goods market, only Russia and Indonesia end up in the riskiest of three investment categories. In 2003, Russia ranked in the top group, which this year included India, China and Hungary.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Moscow hopes to end talks on joining the World Trade Organization by autumn next year, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said Wednesday, adding that a deal with the United States was the last major obstacle to its accession.
Russia has already this year wrapped up talks with the European Union, its top trading partner, and China.
Officials had previously said Moscow hoped to end talks with Washington and Tokyo by March-April, with Russia's dual-pricing policy for energy sales proving particularly thorny.
Washington has also objected to widespread Russian copyright piracy, food safety rules and restrictions on access to the financial services market.
Japan
Report indicates Japanese border opening still a long time away
A Japanese mission returned from Kansas and Alberta this week, but its report to government agencies was evidently less than enthusiastic.
A Japanese official told Reuters that the government is unsure about the timing of authorization of imports from the U.S. and Canada. The official noted that the U.S. must make a major effort to establish a standard for certifying the age and origin of cattle, and that Canada, while far ahead in tracing origin, has nothing in its database to indicate date of birth.
U.S. Data On Beef Production Vary According To Farms
TOKYO (Kyodo)--A mission sent by the Japanese government to analyze measures to prevent mad cow disease in North America presented a report Tuesday indicating the need to substantially limit beef imports from the United States even when Japan removes a ban on them, government officials said.
Data on slaughtered cows were found to vary greatly from farm to farm in the United States, they said.
Japanese cattle breeder switched animals' ear tags
A Japanese cattle breeder was arrested Tuesday for selling a calf after falsifying its bloodline by switching ear tags with a pedigreed calf. The breeder, a former politician, reportedly admitted to fraud, according to the Daily Yomiuri.
Ear tags with 10-digit identification numbers were introduced a year ago, and all breeders are required to tag all of their animals. As the Daily Yomiuri pointed out, the fraud "exposed a fundamental flaw in the law that could seriously undermine its credibility."
The breeder evidently switched ear tags from an expensive pedigreed calf he had purchased, which died soon after, to the ear of a non-pedigreed calf of similar age and appearance. The victim later suspected the calf was not what he had thought and asked the National Livestock Breeding Center to test it.
The original sale took place last spring and the suspected fraud was reported to police in late July.
Economy expands, but only marginally
The Asahi Shimbun — The economic growth rate in the July-September period was revised slightly downward from an already weak preliminary report, the government said Wednesday.
The gross domestic product grew an annualized 0.2 percent on a real basis from the previous quarter, down 0.1 percentage point from the preliminary report released on Nov. 12. The economy avoided the contraction that the Cabinet Office's estimates had suggested, however.
The Cabinet Office turned heads on Nov. 18 when its estimates, based on new GDP calculation methods, showed that the economy shrank an annualized 0.1 percent. The new calculation methods, designed to reflect overall price changes more accurately, have been formally adopted from Wednesday's revisions.
Europe
Unfamiliar scrapie strain found in British sheep
Some 80 cases of an unknown strain of scrapie, a disease similar to bovine spongiform encephalopathy, have been found in sheep in the United Kingdom, according to Scotsman.com.
Suspicions first centered on BSE jumping to a new species, but the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said that all tests have indicated scrapie, albeit a form of the disease never seen in England before. Other European countries have also reported some cases of an unknown strain of the disease.
South Korea
The Bank of Korea (BOK) on Thursday predicted the economy will grow by 4 percent in 2005 and 4.7 percent this year, lower than its initial forecast of 5.2 percent, saying that economic recovery is not likely before next June and the jobless rate would rise to 3.6 percent next year.
The central bank also predicted the current account surplus would reach $16 billion, lower than the estimate of $27.5 billion in 2004, while consumer price inflation would stand at 3 percent next year, lower than the estimate of 3.6 percent in 2004.
Won-Dollar Rate Near Equilibrium: Gov. Park
The head of the nation’s central bank said Thursday the won-dollar exchange rate nearly reached an equilibrium point, rejecting rampant market expectation the won’s strength will continue to decrease.
During a meeting with reporters, Bank of Korea (BOK) Governor Park Seung said the effect of the exchange rate on the economy has calmed and the current rate is thought to have reached equilibrium.
He also pointed out that if the won does not continue to appreciate any more, the local currency market will manage itself without the intervention.
Nation Alert Over Animal Epidemics
Quarantine Strengthened to Prevent Recurrence of Bird Flu
Quarantine authorities have stepped up measures to prevent the outbreak of epidemics of influenza both for humans and animals in South Korea during the winter season.
A bird flu case was reported in Chunchon, Kangwon Province, raising concerns over a possible recurrence of avian influenza, although the case originated from a low-pathogenic virus.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry said Thursday that a total of 20,000 chickens had died of the disease in the city. It has begun quarantine activities at chicken and duck farmsteads in and around the city.
Russia
PwC Urges Caution in Retail Market Investing
Foreign investors into Russia's retail sector need to be as cautious as they are with Indonesia's, PricewaterhouseCoopers concluded in a study of 14 fast-growing transitional economies.
In the international consulting firm's third annual report on the consumer goods market, only Russia and Indonesia end up in the riskiest of three investment categories. In 2003, Russia ranked in the top group, which this year included India, China and Hungary.
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Moscow hopes to end talks on joining the World Trade Organization by autumn next year, Economic Development and Trade Minister German Gref said Wednesday, adding that a deal with the United States was the last major obstacle to its accession.
Russia has already this year wrapped up talks with the European Union, its top trading partner, and China.
Officials had previously said Moscow hoped to end talks with Washington and Tokyo by March-April, with Russia's dual-pricing policy for energy sales proving particularly thorny.
Washington has also objected to widespread Russian copyright piracy, food safety rules and restrictions on access to the financial services market.