International Trade: Page 43

Beef Cattle

US, Japan further open Japanese market to US beef

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack have announced that the U.S. and Japan have agreed on new terms and conditions which pave the way for expanded exports of U.S. beef and beef products to Japan. Under these new terms, which enter into effect on February 1, Japan will now permit the import of beef from cattle less than 30 months of age, compared to the previous limit of 20 months, among other steps.

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International Trade

Italy grain imports fall on fewer wheat, corn purchases

Italian grain imports fell in the first nine months of 2012 due to a drop in domestic wheat and corn purchases, according to the Associazione Nazionale Cerealisti. Soft-wheat imports fell to 3.24 million tons costing €765.2 million from January through September, from 4.07 million tons and €995.2 million in 2011.

International Trade

EU corn imports may be second-highest on record

The European Union has issued licenses to import 3.6 million metric tons of corn since the marketing year began on July 2, more than twice the amount issued in the previous year, according to data. A drought that ruined crops and a surge in wheat exports that curbed domestic grain supply have created challenges and led to an expected rise in purchases — up 59 percent, to 10 million metric tons, the second-highest for data to 1999, said the International Grains Council.

Animal Feed Regulations & Safety

EU eases import restrictions on Japanese feed post-Fukushima

The EU has eased feed and food import restrictions on 11 Japanese prefectures originally placed in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident. Yamanashi, Shizuoka, Gunma, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Miyagi, Saitama, Tokyo, Iwate, Chiba and Kanagawa restrictions have been eased; however, the restrictions on imports coming from the Fukushima prefecture will remain until March 31, 2014.

Animal Feed Manufacturing

China pork demand could lead to record corn imports

If current trends in China's pork production and industrialization continue, the country's corn imports could approach 20 million metric tons per year within a five-year time frame, according to a report released by Rabobank's Food and Agribusiness Research and Advisory Group. China has recently been importing over 0.4 million metric tons of pork per year, in a world market with trade of less than 7 million metric tons per year.

International Trade

Japan more than doubles wheat import estimate for 2012

Japan has increased its wheat import estimate to 1.21 million metric tons for the 2012 financial year, up 58 percent from March predictions, according to reports. The demand has been attributed to a tightening in corn supplies and an increase in prices due to the worst U.S. drought in decades, which caused Japan's use of corn in animal feed to fall in July for the seventh straight month to hit a 20-year low.