8:00AM Tokyo to approve U.S. beef imports.
Japan is close to an approval of resumption of U.S. beef imports this week after suffering growing pressure from Washington to reopen its beef market. Officials from Japan''s agriculture and health ministries are expected to decide soon on whether to allow U.S. beef back into Japan. Japan banned U.S. beef earlier this year amid concerns about mad cow disease, but agreed to resume imports last month oncondition that Japanese inspectors found no problems at U.S. plants. The inspectors spent a month touring 35 U.S. meat processing facilities to find out if they meet Japanese guidelines. Japanese officials have not decided what to do if any problems are found at the U.S. plants. Health and agriculture officials were compiling a report on the inspections, and the government is expected to announce which facilities have been approved to provide beef for the Japanese market.