U.S. prods Tokyo to lift beef age limit

WASHINGTON (Kyodo) Citing international standards, acting U.S. Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner asked Japan on Monday to raise the age limit on American beef imports.

"The international standards for beef trade into Japan would allow us to ship all our beef products of all ages into that country given our safety measures that we have in place in this country," Conner said in a teleconference.

It was the first news conference held by Conner since assuming the post after Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns' resignation last Thursday.

"We will continue to press countries to conduct trade in accordance with these international science-based standards," he said.

Japan currently limits U.S. beef imports to meat coming from cattle aged 20 months or younger due to fears of mad cow disease. Since June, the two countries have held talks on easing beef import terms for American beef.

Washington has been urging Tokyo to fully open its beef market since the World Organization for Animal Health decided in May to allow the United States to export beef regardless of cattle age.