[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 33 (Thursday, March 17, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3069-S3070]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




SENATE RESOLUTION 87--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE REGARDING THE 
                  RESUMPTION OF BEEF EXPORTS TO JAPAN

  Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. Craig, Mr. Inhofe, Mr. Bond, Mr. 
Domenici, Mr. Talent, Mr. Crapo, Mr. Bunning, Mr. Johnson, and Mr. 
Roberts) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Finance:

                               S. Res. 87

       Whereas the livestock industry in the United States, 
     including farmers, ranchers, processors, and retailers, is a 
     vital component of rural communities and the entire United 
     States economy;
       Whereas United States producers take pride in delivering an 
     abundant and safe food supply to our Nation and to the world;
       Whereas Japan has prohibited imports of beef from the 
     United States since December 2003, when a single case of 
     Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) was found in a 
     Canadian-born animal in Washington State;
       Whereas the United States agriculture industry as a whole 
     has been negatively affected by the Japanese ban and the loss 
     of a $1,700,000,000 export market to Japan;
       Whereas the United States has undertaken a rigorous and 
     thorough surveillance program and has exceeded 
     internationally recognized standards of the World 
     Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for BSE testing and has 
     implemented safeguards to protect human and animal health;
       Whereas Japan is a member of the OIE and has agreed to such 
     standards;
       Whereas the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
     Phytosanitary Measures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) 
     calls for WTO members to apply sanitary and phytosanitary 
     measures only to the extent necessary to protect human, 
     animal, and plant health, based on scientific principles;
       Whereas the United States and Japan concluded an 
     understanding on October 23, 2004, that established a process 
     that would lead to the resumption of imports of beef from the 
     United States, yet such imports have not resumed;
       Whereas despite the best efforts of officials within the 
     United States Department of State, the United States 
     Department of Agriculture, and the Office of the United 
     States Trade Representative, the Government of Japan 
     continues to delay imports of beef from the United States on 
     the basis of factors not grounded in sound science and 
     consumer safety;
       Whereas the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and 
     Phytosanitary Measures does not provide to WTO members the 
     right to discriminate and restrict trade arbitrarily; and
       Whereas Japan has been provided a reasonable timeframe to 
     establish appropriate trade requirements and resume beef 
     trade with the United States, and the Government of Japan is 
     putting a long and profound bilateral trading history at 
     risk: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that if the 
     Government of Japan continues

[[Page S3070]]

     to delay meeting its obligations to resume beef imports from 
     the United States under the understanding reached with the 
     United States on October 23, 2004, the United States Trade 
     Representative should immediately impose retaliatory economic 
     measures against Japan.

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