Japan is considering lifting its ban on the import of U.S. beef from cattle 30 months of age and older, according to news reports from the country.
Facing escalating U.S. pressure under President Donald Trump to remove the restriction, Japan’s food safety commission is working on a plan for removing the ban that it will report to the country’s Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry, according to the Japan Times.
The Nikkei Asian Review said the change could take effect in several months, following a public comment period.
The ban is a modified version of a restriction first put into place in 2003 in response to concerns about bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), also known as mad cow disease.
In 2003, the discovery of a case of BSE in Washington state prompted Japan and other trade partners to place limits on U.S. beef imports. In 2005, Japan partially reopened to allow imports of some U.S. beef from animals aged 20 months or younger. Revised terms in 2013 raised the age limit for U.S. cattle from which eligible beef products are harvested to 30 months from 20 months.