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Indonesia bans certain U.S. beef products after BSE discovery
Story Date: 4/27/2012
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Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 4/26/12
Indonesia will suspend imports of U.S. bone-in beef and variety meats, but continue to allow boneless muscle cuts after USDA announced a confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) in a California cow, according to statements by officials within Indonesia’s agriculture ministry.
U.S. Meat Export Federation spokesman Joe Schuele told Meatingplace that while the Indonesian market had been largely a variety meat market for the United States, an aggressive Indonesian program to boost its domestic beef industry had already limited beef imports from the United States and other exporters this year.
Indonesia imported about 18,000 metric tons of U.S. beef in 2011 worth about $28 million. In the first two months of 2012, Indonesia had only imported 416 metric tons worth just over $1 million, compared to about 2,640 metric tons worth about $4 million by this time last year, according to USMEF statistics.
Schuele said it had already become difficult for all exporters to obtain beef import certificates from Indonesia well before the BSE announcement. He noted the topic was discussed during a meeting between the presidents of New Zealand and Indonesia earlier this month.
“For this reason, we don’t really see this as the start of any kind of a trend,” in terms of other countries following suit relative to BSE, he said.
In fact, several major importers said yesterday they would continue to import U.S. beef.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura said on Wednesday there was no need for Japan to take any steps to further restrict U.S. beef imports and that the new BSE case was unlikely to affect Japan’s decision on whether or not to ease current import restrictions, according to the Japan Economic Newswire.
Japan is currently considering easing its restrictions that only allow imports of beef from cattle aged 20 months or younger from the United States to cattle aged 30 months or younger. The BSE-infected cow in California was older than 30 months.
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