According to Tatsuo Iwama, executive director of Japan Meat Traders Association, Japan's renewed ban on U.S. beef imports has resulted in over 2,000 tons of U.S. beef being held at Japanese customs warehouses. Most of the intended U.S. beef imports were high quality chilled beef, with the consumption date expiring within two months.Even if the ban is lifted Japanese consumers wont be falling over themselves to buy American beef. According to a recent poll by the Asahi newspaper, 62% of Japanese said they don't want to eat American beef when it returns to Japanese stores.
There is only side to blame in this costly fiasco - and it isn't the Japanese.
