USMEF-Japan, Nippon Ham, Partner to Grow U.S. Beef Exports

The customer is always right, and that’s never more true than when the customer is the largest importer of U.S. beef in Japan and is looking to buy more.

Nippon Ham, the largest ham and sausage manufacturer and distributor in Japan, currently purchases a significant percentage of all the U.S. beef exported there, and has a goal of boosting that amount considerably. However, the company is concerned that some members of its sales staff aren’t familiar enough with American beef since more than half of them joined the company during the post-BSE period when U.S. beef either could not be imported or was under severe limitations.

To remedy that, USMEF-Japan and Nippon Ham’s subsidiary distribution company, Nihon Food, have partnered on a series of three training seminars reaching more than 550 of the company’s sales professionals. Support for the seminars was provided through the USDA Market Access Program (MAP) and the Beef Checkoff Program.

The Nihon Foods representatives in attendance were greatly interested in the possible revision in Japan’s current limitation on U.S. beef imports to product from cattle under 20 months of age, and how a change would affect the supply of U.S. beef, including variety meat cuts such as tongue and outside skirts.

“The Nihon Foods participants were eager to obtain useful knowledge for their business,” said Takemichi Yamashoji, USMEF-Japan senior marketing director. “It was clear that Nippon Ham has an interest in expanding its sale of U.S. beef in Japan.”

Yamashoji led the seminar that included background information on the production of U.S. beef and its quality attributes, market trends, effective merchandising ideas and a cutting demonstration.

“This kind of seminar has proven very effective for educating sales personnel in Japan,” he said. “With this added information, they become effective representatives for U.S. beef across the country.”

In 2011, Japan purchased 158,646 metric tons (349.8 million pounds) of U.S. beef valued at $874.4 million. In January of 2012, beef exports to Japan were up 2 percent in volume and 26 percent in value versus year-ago levels.