Canadian cattle UTM Get Green Light for Shipping to Japan

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Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and International Trade Minister Ed Fast today announced the Government of Canada has reached an agreement with Japan to expand market access to Canadian beef from animals under 30 months of age (UTM). This is an improvement over the current requirement which only permits beef exports from animals under 21 months of age, a restriction in place since the discovery of  Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) in Canada in 2003. This expanded access is expected to double the potential market value of Canadian exports to Japan reaching up to $150 million annually.

Japanese authorities today confirmed the revision of Japan’s import regulations for beef. The revised regulations will come into effect February 1, 2013.

“Our Government welcomes this expanded access for Canadian beef into the valuable Japanese market,” said Minister Ritz. “This agreement will put more top quality Canadian beef on Japanese store shelves while strengthening our producers’ bottom lines and growing our overall economy.”

“This is an outstanding development that will benefit Canada’s beef producers by enabling exports of Canadian beef to Japan on a year-round basis, while meeting Japan’s need for a more consistent supply of Canadian beef,” said the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association President Martin Unrau.

Japan is Canada’s third largest export market for beef. Canadian exports of beef from animals under 21-months of age for the past three years were worth approximately $70 to $75 million per year. The increased access is expected to double the potential market value to $140 to $150 million, according to the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association (CCA).

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