Nebraska Ag News Headlines Lincoln, Johanns Press Japan to Lift Restrictions on U.S. Beef Nebraska Ag Connection - 03/12/2010 Senators Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas and Mike Johanns of Nebraska Thursday introduced a resolution pressing Japan to lift its partial ban on U.S. beef. Lincoln, Chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Johanns, a former Secretary of Agriculture, were joined by 17 bipartisan cosponsors. The resolution states Japan should immediately expand market access for U.S. beef products, and urges the Obama Administration to insist on increased market access from Japan. "Due in large part to a lack of export markets, American beef producers have lost an average of $1.4 billion annually since 2003 despite the fact that sound science tells us that our product is safe. Asia continues to hold the greatest growth potential in market access for American beef exports and these non-tariff trade barriers from Japan must be brought down," Lincoln said. "For too long, Japan has been grossly unfair in its treatment of U.S. beef and beef producers for reasons that defy scientific rationalization, even as the U.S. goes out of its way to treat Japanese products fairly," Johanns said. "We have proven that U.S. beef is safe for consumption. Japan must recognize that fact and remove its non-scientific barriers to our beef sales." Copyright © 2010 - USAgNet.com. All Rights Reserved.