U.S. doesn't like Japan beef restrictions
The U.S. Trade Representative's office wants Japan to back away from imposing restrictions on imports of beef.
In its report this week on foreign trade barriers, the office cited new Japanese policies motivated out of fear of mad cow disease from imported beef products.
U.S. officials also want Japan to take steps to open up its market for rice grown in other countries.
Officials said beef-import restrictions by Japan would be "inappropriate" because increases in imported beef are a sign the country is recovering from the discovery of the livestock disease in Japan late in 2001.
World Trade Organization rules allow Japan to increase its beef tariff from 38.5 percent to 50 percent if there is a year-on-year increase of more than 17 percent in imported beef.
The Japan Times reported Japanese officials may impose beef import restrictions as soon as this summer.
"The United States considers this safeguard to be a right and not a rule, and as such believes Japan can choose not to exercise it," the trade representative's report said.
Federal officials want Japan to expand its foreign-grown rice imports by cutting tariffs.
"Japan's highly regulated and nontransparent distribution system for imported rice assures that high-quality U.S. rice does not have meaningful access to Japanese consumers," the report reads.
U.S. officials plan to ask Japan for greater access to its rice market as part of the ongoing negotiations by the World Trade Organization to set an international agriculture policy.
Senate to consider alternate energy measures
The Senate Finance Committee is recommending approval of tax breaks to encourage generation of electricity from livestock manure and converting soybeans to diesel fuel.
The committee voted 18-2 this week for a bill containing tax incentives for energy generation that would cost the federal government $14.5 billion during the next five years.
Tax breaks are expected to be merged into a more comprehensive federal energy bill the Senate will vote on later this year. The measure also changes the source of funding for ethanol industry subsidies from road construction fees to the general treasury.
"Investing in alternative forms of clean-burning energy is good for the environment, good for national security and energy independence, good for job creation and economic development and good for taxpayers," Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, told the Des Moines Register.
Officials want expanded cattle trade
Feeder cattle producers in Montana are hoping to persuade regulatory officials in Canada to allow year-round shipments of livestock to feedlots north of the U.S. border.
Under existing programs, Monday was the end of a "vector-free" season during which livestock could be exported to Canada for fattening in feedlots. A proposal known as the Terminal Feeder Protocol would allow entry of cattle less than 2 years old if animals remain at the feedlots until being slaughtered.
A joint study of Canadian and U.S. officials is trying to persuade the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to approve the deal by showing Montana and Canada have the same incidence of risk of two livestock diseases -- bluetongue and anaplasmosis.
Fla. approves fire ant product
Florida Environmental Protection Department officials have approved the use of Fire Ant products in state parklands.
State officials said the products are not hazardous to people in approved concentrations and also can be safe to use in and around picnic areas where foods are stored or consumed.
The products are designed to control insects from making public park areas unpleasant for human use. State officials say they will use the products in their system of 158 parks covering 600,000 acres.
Grains lower on CBOT
Grain futures were lower at the close Thursday on the Chicago Board of Trade.
Soybeans and corn fell on rain in the Midwest and weak export sales figures. Corn also suffered from the perception recent price gains had been overdone.
Wheat dropped on declines in exports and pressure from soybeans and corn.
Oats were lower.
The prices:
Soybeans: May 5.85 1/4 off 1 1/2, Jul 5.82 3/4 off 1 3/4, Aug 5.70 off 1, Nov 5.16 1/2 off 1/2.
Corn: May 2.38 3/4 off 1 1/2, Jul 2.39 1/4 off 1 1/4, Sep 2.38 3/4 off 1 3/4, Dec 2.39 3/4 off 2 1/2.
Wheat: May 2.81 1/2 off 6, Jul 2.86 1/4 off 4, Sep 2.90 1/2 off 4 1/4, Dec 3.01 1/2 off 4.
Oats: May 1.84 1/4 off 1/4, Jul 1.62 off 3/4, Sep 1.50 1/2 off 1 1/4, Dec 1.48 unch.
