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Viewing cable 06FUKUOKA10, U.S. BEEF: A MUCH TOUGHER SELL IN KYUSHU POST-"HOTEL RACK"

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06FUKUOKA10 2006-02-21 09:31 2011-08-25 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED Consulate Fukuoka
VZCZCXRO3291
RR RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHFK #0010 0520931
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 210931Z FEB 06
FM AMCONSUL FUKUOKA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0165
RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 0171
INFO RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 0068
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 0076
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 0067
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 0070
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 0183
UNCLAS FUKUOKA 000010 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
TOKYO FOR FAS, ATO, ECON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAGR ETRD ECON PREL BEXP JA
SUBJECT: U.S. BEEF:  A MUCH TOUGHER SELL IN KYUSHU POST-"HOTEL RACK" 
 
 
Sensitive But Unclassified - please protect accordingly. 
 
1. (SBU) Widespread negative media coverage of the Beef Export 
Verification (BEV) agreement violation in January, the 
Government of Japan's (GOJ) re-imposition of its import ban on 
U.S. beef, and subsequent political haranguing between the 
ruling LDP and opposition DPJ parties over the issue have all 
had a very negative impact on consumer sentiments toward beef in 
Kyushu.  Local contacts in the meat distribution, restaurant, 
and retail grocery sectors tell post that the recent events have 
deepened skepticism over the safety of U.S. beef (and beef 
generally) and fueled public distrust of both countries' 
respective inspection systems.  While core demand remains for 
inexpensive U.S. beef, particularly by discount restaurant 
chains, contacts say restoring consumer confidence and recouping 
market share will likely be a slow and difficult process for 
U.S. beef exports once trade is resumed a second time. 
 
2.  (SBU) Public opinion polls that were conducted just before 
the beef import ban was lifted in December 2005 indicated that 
Kyushu region consumers were somewhat more favorably disposed 
toward purchasing U.S. beef than consumers nationwide.  In 
response to recent events, however, that feeling appears largely 
to have evaporated in the face of steady, negative media 
coverage.  Industry contacts here privately criticize the 
Japanese media for sensationalizing the issue, particularly for 
characterizing the January BEV violation as a food safety risk 
when in fact it was not.  Unfortunately, such technical 
distinctions are generally lost on many local consumers, who 
appear inclined to conclude from this and subsequent events 
(i.e., problems identified in the USDA OIG report, critical DPJ 
comments after visiting a U.S. processing plant, etc.) that USG 
commitments on beef processing, and the resulting safety of the 
product, cannot be relied on.  Contacts tell us that this image 
problem has been compounded by the DPJ's use of the beef issue 
to take political swipes at the Koizumi government and by the 
LDP's somewhat ham-handed responses.  Taking place amidst the 
backdrop of domestic food labeling scandals in recent years as 
well as Japan's own continuing BSE cases, such politicking 
serves to stoke public fears and cynicism about the 
trustworthiness of both the GOJ's and USG's food safety regimes. 
 
3. (SBU) On the positive side, the manager of a major Fukuoka 
meat distributor told post that core demand for inexpensive U.S. 
beef by some major users, in particular discount restaurant 
chains, should remain fairly solid.  Some restaurants are 
fearful, though, that the recent events and continuing 
politicization of the beef issue could result in an origin 
labeling requirement for beef items on menus, which would likely 
hurt purveyors of U.S. beef.  The manager speculated that 
supermarket sales of U.S. beef to individual consumers will 
perhaps be the toughest area after imports resume, in part 
because identification of national origin is already included on 
the label.  Consumers for whom price is the overriding 
consideration will continue to buy U.S. beef as before. 
However, according to industry observers, many Kyushu consumers 
who took the middle ground, "wait-and-see" approach in the 
December polling have now likely shifted to the "don't intend to 
buy" column as a result of the recent problems. 
 
4. (SBU) Many of post's business contacts, who are pro-U.S. 
overall, privately recommend that U.S. officials be more careful 
in negotiating the minefield of Japanese public opinion.  They 
say analogies such as comparing BSE risk to traffic accident 
risk, or the BEV import violation to faulty brakes on Japanese 
cars, may make sense on a logical level.  But these types of 
comments inevitably backfire in the Japanese mind because they 
are seen as comparing unrelated issues and because they convey 
the impression that the U.S. dismisses Japanese hypersensitivity 
on food safety as overblown or unreasonable.  The Fukuoka branch 
manager of a Japanese meat industry trade journal told post that 
he understands the importance the U.S. places on food safety. 
He also regrets that some Japanese media commentators and 
politicians have mischaracterized the positive steps taken by 
the USG and GOJ to correct problems and get the beef trade back 
on track.  Even so, he stressed that market recovery and 
restoration of public confidence in U.S. beef will depend not 
just on outlining corrective measures, but on a consistent USG 
public line which emphasizes "respect" for Japan's prickly 
"safety culture." 
 
WONG