Most Japanese oppose US beef trade restart -poll

TOKYO, June 27 (Reuters) A large majority of Japanese respondents to a poll 71 per cent said they were opposed or ''fairly opposed'' to Japan's decision to lift a ban on U S beef imports, a survey by the Yomiuri newspaper today showed.

Tokyo agreed on June 21 to resume U S beef imports, which had been suspended for five months due to fears of mad cow disease, after it completes inspection of beef processing plants authorised by the US government as suppliers to Japan.

By gender, 76 per cent of the women said they opposed lifting the ban compared with 64 per cent of the men.

About 60 percent of the respondents said they did not want to eat U S beef even after imports resume, a move that could come as early as late next month.

The online survey, which was conducted jointly by the Japanese language daily Yomiuri Shimbun and NTT Resonant Inc., received 1,059 valid answers from respondents aged from 14 to 84, the daily said.

Japan suspended American beef imports in January, just a month after it lifted a two-year-old ban first imposed in December 2003 following the discovery of a U S case of mad cow disease.

Prior to the ban, Japan was the top importer of U S beef, importing about 1.4 billion dollars worth in 2003.

REUTERS SY PC1036