U.S. lawmakers Friday called on Japan to reopen its borders to U.S. beef at a meeting with the Japanese ambassador. At the request of the Japanese embassy, and following proposed legislation that would impose economic sanctions on Japan if it refuses to open its borders, several lawmakers met with Ambassador Ryozo Kato. "Japan simply cannot have it both ways - selling products to the U.S. market while refusing to purchase U.S. beef," said U.S. Representative Jerry Moran, a Republican from Kansas who introduced the legislation, in a statement following the meeting. Earlier this week, President George W. Bush asked Japanese Prime Minster Junichiro Koizumi to speed up the reopening of the Japanese markets to U.S. beef. Japan closed its markets to U.S. beef in December 2003, following a case of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), the so-called "mad cow disease." The case was found in a Canadian cow in the U.S. and Moran said enough has been done since to ensure the safety of U.S. beef. --More 2249 Local Time 1949 GMT
