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Obama singles out Japan & South Korea for criticism

Surveys may show that Japanese people love Barack Obama, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t planning to pressure Japan over trade issues. Here’s a quote from a recent New York Times article:

As he campaigns against what he describes as unfair foreign trade deals, Senator Barack Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, often singles out Japan and especially South Korea for criticism. Both countries, he complains, have erected “all kinds of restrictions and barriers” to shut out American products, including beef and automobiles.

“You can’t get beef into Japan and Korea, even though, obviously, we have the highest safety standards of anybody, but they don’t want to have that competition from U.S. producers,” Mr. Obama said last month in a speech to farmers in South Dakota. Last week, near Detroit, he asserted that “if South Korea is selling hundreds of thousands of cars to the United States and we can only sell less than 5,000 in South Korea, something is wrong.”

Obama’s statement may be true with regard to some safety standards, but he was wrong about BSE testing. Every cow slaughtered in Japan is tested for BSE (tests have found 32 cases of BSE), while the same cannot be said of the U.S. beef industry (three cases of BSE have been found in U.S. cattle). But to be fair, it should be noted that the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) examined BSE risk and declared American beef to be safe for export in 2007.

Limited amounts of U.S. beef are on sale in Japan, perhaps most notably in the beef bowls at Yoshinoya. Occasionally accidental shipments of “risky” beef parts result in restrictions against certain American beef exporters, but there is no total ban on U.S. beef. While many Japanese tend to believe that their beef is at a lower BSE risk than American beef, thousands of people have not engaged in hysterical street protests over food safety issues.

[hat tip to the Marmot's Hole]

42 comments - What do you think? Posted by James - June 16, 2008 at 4:05 pm

Categories: Politics Tags: beef, japan

shazzb0t

Anyone who thinks the US beef import issue is anything other than protectionism needs to pull their head out. There is nothing wrong with US beef in the slightest.

elimam

to say that nothing is wrong with US beef is a bit exagerated.
japan used to import most of their beef from US. they switched to Aussie and NZ beef only after the BSE problems.
protectionism never was an issue in this case.
what does it matter to Japan if they import beef from Australia/NZ or US?
these meat producers have to comply with regulations as instructed by the importer. if unable to meet the regulations they should stop weeping!!

shazzb0t

First off, American beef, because of the scale of production, is cheaper than both Aussie and Japanese beef. This puts both countries at a disadvantage as you can guess. Japan gets the majority of its beef from Australia already, but has to maintain some balance as far as to how much is being imported and how those productions will effect the domestic beef industry. If Japan were to open their doors to American producers, though the US might muscle the Aussies out of their current dominance of Japanese import markets resulting in lower prices for Japanese consumers, such a decision could also have negative repercussion for Japanese producers. Japanese producers would fare better against a slightly higher priced foreign competitor than one that has incredible supply accompanied by the lowest prices. Japanese producers could effectively be priced out of their own market. Besides that, there are more than enough signs to point to protectionism being a factor here.

The LDP for years has depended on farmers and livestock producers for votes and that relationship has been a significant factor in their continued successes. That is a group whose support they cannot afford to lose and thus a couple mishandled pieces of meat lead to a frenzy of protectionist sentiment being printed in the media and becoming a bigger deal than it really is. Is it surprising that such an occurrence has taken place in regards to Chinese agricultural products as well? The two situations are not exactly related but the circumstances are slightly similar.

elimam

you are still missing my point!
I’ll repeat my self again. japan used to import most of their beef from US. they switched to Aussie and NZ beef only after the BSE problems. Japan didn’t have any problem with American beef prices back then. the difference in price between American & Aussie/NZ beef is pretty insignificant comparing to the exorbitant prices of Japanese beef.
but I do agree with you, most of these issues are linked in a way or another to votes. including Chinese products incident.
stereo

“First off, American beef, because of the scale of production, is cheaper than both Aussie and Japanese beef.”
As far as I remember, American beef was more expensive than Australian. American cows are mainly grain fed, whereas Australian cows are grass fed. That makes cost for food of Australian cattle much cheaper.

“If Japan were to open their doors to American producers.”
It is open. There is no restriction to import US beef.

But just look at McDonalds homepage in Japan. They proudly advertise, “we at McDonalds do not use US beef at all and use solely Aussie and New Zealand beef.”
http://sleepytako.blogspot.com Sleepytako

I’m not too sure Aussie or NZ beef is grass fed, but if it is that’s a good thing. Grass fed beef is also much better for the environment and your stomach. Less antibiotics, less waste gas.

LB

Probably true – so why not prove it? All the US would have to do is test 100% of the cows whose meat is bound for Japan, and that would be the end of it. But the US won’t do it, and in fact the FDA has been fighting it and threatening to shut down slaughterhouses who agree to do the testing.

The US is the seller, Japan is the customer. The customer wants certain conditions to be met before he will agree to unconditionally buy the product. The seller can meet that demand and still turn a profit. So far, no problem – this is what a market economy is all about.

Instead the seller insists the buyer must meet his terms. The buyer doesn’t like those terms, and so takes their business elsewhere – again, this is what a market economy is all about.

So now the seller threatens the buyer – huh? We’ve just moved from a market economy into extortion and racketeering. Good move, guys!

Kevin

I actually agree with you, but I think we should take it a step further. I think the Japanese government should create a law telling all businesses they have to notify customers of the country of origin of the beef. Tell customers that the US doesn’t follow the same safety procedures as Japan and then let customers make the decision to purchase the beef or not.

Not only are they opening the market to US goods but at the same time letting customers voice their opinion with their own money. I’m sure some people will buy the beef, but just like with a lot of Chinese vegetables, there will be a lot of people who avoid it.

http://pontasmemorandum.blogspot.com/ ponta

I agree.
LB

Yes, but you know if that happened, the US would still complain, saying the labeling was unfair and discriminatory. It would be like a few years ago when the US complained that even after Japan liberalized the rules for imported cars, not enough Japanese were buying American cars (which had the steering handle on the wrong side, were gas guzzlers and just plain too big in many cases for Japanese streets, besides being expensive). Consumers were speaking, but yet somehow this was the Japanese government’s fault…

onceuponatime

with all the FOOD scandals in japan of late, i cannot say that i feel at all safe about the food supply in japan. you have the snow brand, the hope meat, the fuji cakes, the mislabled sweets, chicken and i can go on and on and on. i can say i DO NOT like aussie beef (no fat), do not like japanese beef (too much fat and too expensive) and i do LOVE us beef – just perfect. i want to have a choice.

Robman

You forgot to mention the deadly chemical laced gyozas from China.

http://www.pacificmorningpost.com Martin

“if South Korea is selling hundreds of thousands of cars to the United States and we can only sell less than 5,000 in South Korea, something is wrong.”

Love the irony of this one.

Maybe this is because nobody actually WANTS an American made car? And this is just a sign of how unwanted these cars are? Make them smaller, and more energy efficient and you have something competitive. A bit like.. a Korean/Japanese car?

http://www.victorymanual.com Alex

When I lived in Korea, all I could afford was a Korean car. Hyundai Accent. Worst car I’ve ever owned, and it was newer than any other car I’ve ever purchased. I’m not saying I like American cars – I’m a Nissan fan, till death do us part. But you can’t put Korean cars in the same class as Japanese cars. There’s a reason they’re dirt-cheap in the States.

chillzacks

Alex:
“When I lived in Korea….”

The Korean car that you purchased in Korea was a piece of shit because pieces of shit are legal there. I am not trying to sound harsh but the safety inspection regulations, etc. in Korea are far lower than they are in North America….hence the high amounts of junk on the road. It would be virtually impossible to export Korean made cars (that were made in Korea for Korea) to the US because they would not pass the tests.

And for the record…. just because a car has a Korean/ Japanese brand doesn’t mean it is built in that country. The car making process is a multi-faceted one. Heck… Haiti even comes into the picture at some part of the equation for certain kinds of cars. Toyota, Honda, Hyundai assembly plants are abundant in North America. In a globalized world brand name means very little.

Obama was simply trying to fire up American voters because GM is a poorly run company who didn’t think of the future. This in turn has cost many Americans their jobs. Too bad your CEO is a dipshit.
…

Maybe next time you should try a chinese car then realize Korean cars were luxury cars?

sod

it’s mystify’s me why people are thinking that the usa is being bullied by japan.as far as i remember the usa does a lot of the same ‘protectionism’ itself and ignores any complaints!
Level3

Just another example that Obama is generally inexperienced and often doesn’t know what the hell he’s talking about, or he’s deliberately distorting the truth just to tell the audience what they want to hear.

Why do people support him? Seriously.
Is it his name, his skin color, his cliche catchword “Change”, hatred of Bush, or just following the popular media Obamania?

Populism can have a strong influence on the weak-minded.
Wait…was that populism or The Force?

People don’t bother to check details, just tell ‘em what they want to hear, and they’ll punch your chad, [and your opponent's one, plus several others, then complain about voter disenfranchisement.]

http://www.darkmirage.com DarkMirage

Actually all politicians say things like this, so it’s pretty single him out for it. There is usually some elements of truth in such sentiments, but politicians do tend to go too far with theatrics.

Why do anyone support any politicians? I think those reasons you stated are as good as any because most people don’t vote by issues, they vote by labels and groups. It’s not as if McCain’s policy or speaking are any more enlightening.

Rawr.

..Why is this a big deal? Or a “deal” at all?
Why does he care about what kind of meat those countries eat, or what automobiles they buy? I mean, if that’s the best he could come up with to critisize them, then that’s sad.
It isn’t even his country, although it does affect America by losing opportunities for trade, but those are they’re own countries, so if they don’t want whatever, then let it be.
No need to tell people what to do all the time.
And you know, the reason why some people might not want American cars or beef and what not, could be because they’re crap.

http://dd one

this goes far beyond beef and autos.

If you build a house in japan and the local building inspector even suspects that one piece of the house, like a door or a light switch, is not made in japan he can stop all construction. After all work on your house is suspended the bank will try to terminate your mortgage. Every little piece must have a made in japan sticker or be from an approved source.

but japan wants to sell every product they make in every country on the planet…….. ya that’s fair.

LB

And that… is bullshit. Electrical components must meet Japanese safety standards, just as similar components must meet certain safety standards in the US, or England, or Australia, or anyplace else on the planet with building codes. Same with pipes. As for the main pieces of the house – you just try to find a wood frame house in Japan made with 100% Japanese wood. I dare you. I double-dog dare you. You won’t be able to do it. Or if you can, it will only be because the owner of the house insisted on it and paid a premium for that wood. Any wood house built by any of the major (or minor) housebuilding companies uses wood from overseas, usually Canada or Scandinavia. Go to your local home center and check where the 2 x 4s and so on come from.

As for the bank suspending your mortgage while you get switches replaced… are you serious? Do you even have a clue how banks operate? Looks like you don’t…

LB

“Japanese house makers all use the same method of construction.”

I just had a house built. I talked to a lot of house builders before settling on one I liked. And they all build houses differently – radically differently, in some cases.

Since from the start you clearly know not of where you speak, I won’t bother giving thought to the rest of your post.
LB

CAP panel (modified 2 x 4 construction), Fuji House. As opposed to straight 2 x 4 construction as offered by Toyota Wood-you Home, or the completely frameless panel construction used by Misawa (made me very uncomfortable, although it seems to work for Showa Base in Antarctica).

And then there is Japanese-style frame construction, a completely different beast again.

Now add in insulation methods (internal or external? Foam or glass fiber? External walls/roof only, or internal walls and floors too?), foundation construction methods (solid concrete base with vertical walls, or vertical walls only? How many vertical walls – periphery only, periphery with a couple of walls in the middle, complete support for all interior walls? How is the house attached to the foundation? What is the relation of the house to the ground it sits on? For a given lot of land will the builder just level the ground, or pack it, or put down pilings?).

Or do we want to go with a concrete house? And aside from the obvious material differences, there are just as many variations as there are for wood frame houses.

The government lays down standards that must be met (as governments everywhere are wont to do). As long as those standards are met, the builder can exceed them to their heart’s content – as Fuji House does. That is why, after a long period of looking around and comparing, I went with them. So I do know what I am talking about, Mr. “all house builders use the same method of construction”.

Now, I’m done here.

stereo

One, you are just lying.

http://dd one

Are you building a house? I am. I wanted a heavy oak front door, the inspector said it has to be an approved piece made in an approved factory. So I asked the builder to make me a custom one because I did not like the designs that they offered, they said that there was no way to get a custom door approved.
The only way around all this is to wait until the house is completely finished, inspected and you have moved in. Then you can change anything you want. Until then you are at the mercy of the inspector and the insane building laws that are designed to help out the huge conglomerate companies.

I said “Every little piece must have a made in japan sticker or be from an approved source.“
stereo

One, construction material, whether it is Japan made or foreign made, must be approved.

Many of the constructors do not use custom-made items for economical reasons. If you want an oak door, find an architect in addition to a constractor that deals in such a door. You need an architect for your door to go through approval process. I am pretty sure you can find an architect and a constructor in your town. Don’t sign your contract, unless you are happy with the details of your house.

And don’t forget fire-prevention laws. In crowded areas of town, it is prohibited to use wood doors.
nigelboy

I’m kind of in agreement with stereo here.
What’s the beef? Of course, the construction material should be regulated. And if the other product are better than the counter parts, then that company should be the ones working towards being their product accepted, not the regulators and certainly not the consumers.

And every household name builders have specific architect firms and construction material companies which they have strong ties with. And as a result, there isn’t too much flexibility. If you want flexibility, use a mom & pop builder or better yet build it yourself.

Komavary

“Anyone who thinks the US beef import issue is anything other than protectionism needs to pull their head out. There is nothing wrong with US beef in the slightest.”

Hormons and antibiotics?
TenSigh

Have you noticed he targets the two most successful countries in Asia? What about human rights abuses in China, North Korea or Vietnam?

I hope this enlightens people as to how foolish this man really is.

Kevin

He’s targeting Japan and Korea because both countries are refusing to import US beef. This isn’t that hard to comprehend. It’s a ‘gimme’ issue for a presidential candidate. He doesn’t have to care about how Japanese or Korean people feel because for right now, Americans want to hear, “We’re going to make them accept US beef.”
Human rights come later. Voters don’t care about human rights at this point. They want to hear those catchy slogans that politicians like to spout out.

stereo

Japan does import US beef.

madne0

Not much to say about this issue, but that photo in the top of the post is just…wow. If smug could kill, Obama would be a genocidal maniac.
Bruce Smith

Nothing wrong with banning US beef. Just keep on importing Aussie beef
stereo

“But to be fair, it should be noted that the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) examined BSE risk and declared American beef to be safe for export in 2007.”

OIE ranked US at “controlled BSE risk country” which is no better than that of UK. Australia and New Zealand are ranked at “negligible BSE risk country” which is better than controlled category.
http://www.oie.int/eng/info/en_statesb.htm

To export beef from “controlled” countries, the exporters must attest that “the cattle from which the fresh meat and meat products were derived passed ante-mortem and post-mortem inspections.” (Article 2.3.13.11. of Terrestrial Animal Health Code of OIE)
http://www.oie.int/eng/normes/mcode/en_chapitre_2.3.13.htm

The US does not do such inspections or does it very loosely.
Mark

I’m American and haven’t eaten U.S. beef since 2004 because it doesn’t meet MY standards.

They feed cows cut-up-pieces of other cows. It’s called “rendering.” Since Japan has had over 30 cases of BSE, their beef isn’t safe either. I think the U.S. has had even more, but since they don’t test like most other countries, it’s gone under-the-radar. And brain-degenerative diseases are on the rise in the U.S… and BSE can stay in your system for over 20 years, later in life causing dementia… some autopsies have shown that it is not always Alzheimer’s in the brain causing dementia. So I don’t see why I should eat beef and take unnecessary risks, given U.S. regulators negligence.

Actually it’s even simpler than that… as long as animals that are supposed to eat grass are fed the body parts of other animals, I’m not going to eat them.

http://babibubebo.com Evan

For a few seconds this makes me want to stop eating beef… then I remember how delicious it is and realize that I only live once and I am going to die whether I eat beef or not.

So a sickness that “may” affect me later on when I old and one that is considerably rare to begin with (as far as we know it to be anyway) does not really scare me (for now).

stereo

Only if they test the cows free of BSE before processing into meat, you can have both safety and eating delights.

The problem is that US Department of Agriculture is blocking such testing.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/editorials/2006-08-03-our-view_x.htm

Lei

regarding cars, japan and south korea should loosen up their policies on foreign cars. The US allowed Toyota to enter the market, build factories and later on attain world #1 status because of it. Regarding south korea, south korea has one of the strictest automobile import policies. When I went there i failed to see even a single toyota most were hyundai and kias. Strange how even though the world is going through globalization these countries are still not very open to foreign investors

stereo

Lei, there is no such restriction as you imagine. US carmakers can freely export and sell their cars in Japan. They can freely build their own dealership network in Japan. They can also freely build their own factories in Japan.

Pingback: Confessions of a Car Salesman » Blog Archive » Hyundai Accent - Insider Guide: How to Buy a Car - Special
shazzb0t

Indeed, those protectionist laws are usually accompanied by media sensationalism about the dangers of the foreign products in question. Its not unusual for the US either, but in this case there is obviously more than meets the eye.

Obama singles out Japan & South Korea for criticism

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