Change for lift in beef quota?

Press, 1 March 1982, Page 10

Change for lift in beef quota?

From

BRUCE ROSCOE

in Tokyo, W.th the visit next week of two senior executives of Japan’s governmental beefimporting monopoly corporation, New Zealand will have an opportunity to impress on Japan its arguments for a revised quota system which would allow access for bigger volumes of grass-fed beef. Mr Kochi Inubushi, vicepresident of the Livestock Industry Promotion Corporation (L.1.P.C.) - a body under constant fire from Japanese consumer interests for its practice of importing cheap beef for resale at as much as five times its landed price — and the corporation’s imported beef section' chief, Mr Toshio Kanai, will have their most important meeting with Meat Board officials in,’ Wellington on Friday. Although the L.I.P.G. is calling its New Zealand visit, and a preceding visit to Australia, a “familiarisation lour” — it is Mr Inubushi’s first visit to both countries — some meat specialists speculate that there is far more to the visits than that. A global quota of 135,000 tonnes of beef has been promised by the Japanese Government to supplying countries for the 1982 financial year and Japan, reput-

edly upset with harsh Australian political censure of its import policy, may make overtures to the New Zealand industry on the possibilities of increased New Zealand supply. Differences with Australian exporters over quality specifications are also said to have irritated Japanese importers. The timing of the New Zealand visit, which also coincides with the Japanese Government’s comprehensive review of import barriers,

therefore is seen in Tokyo as being opportune for New Zealand to advance its argument for increased, market’ 3CCCSS. r -t’ Trade officials believe that s New Zealand, which last j calendar year sold 8929 <■ tonnes of beef to Japan, could do much better if the import system for. mainland Japan were geared v more to the freer system wording on the Japanese-island of, Okinawa, where New Zealand premium beef has met with strong demand. ’ • ..