U.S. beef exports to Japan added 26% on August 2008 volume to 8,109 tons (58% of the pre-BSE volume in August 2003). In the calendar year to August, U.S. beef imports totaled 43,312 tons, up 28% on last year, but 25% of the volume imported from the U.S. during the same period in 2003.

Meanwhile, a U.S. Meat Export Federation survey found that over the past three years, the percentage of Japanese consumers who feel “extremely safe” or “somewhat safe” in consuming U.S. beef has more than doubled from 12.1% in 2006 to 30.1% in August 2009. And, the percentage of consumers who feel “not very safe” or “not safe at all” has declined from 62.5% to 30.8%. The remaining respondents had no firm opinion on the topic, the survey found.