The lifting of the trade embargo on Japanese beef, which resulted from the outbreak of BSE in the early 2000s, has begun. The ban has already been lifted in Thailand in 2011 and is also expected to be lifted in the Philippines. Export to Indonesia is also expected to commence during this year. This means that the counterattack against Australian Beef, for which exports increased significantly during the Japanese beef trade embargo, has begun.
Of course, the development of an Halal environment is required when exporting to Indonesia. Although there are three facilities that have obtained Halal certification in Japan, only one has obtained Indonesian MUI certification. Accordingly, Japan is planning to increase its number of Halal-certified facilities meaning that a significant increase in exports to Indonesia can be expected.
If Japanese beef can ride the wave of popularity, the export momentum for top end Wagyu beef will also increase. Wagyu beef refers to the finest beef from a specific breed of domestic cattle. Kobe beef, Matsuzaka beef, and Yonezawa beef are particularly well known. Hyogo Prefecture and producers of Kobe beef have decided upon the development of Halal-certified facilities and are seriously aiming to export to Islamic countries.
As you can see in the chart, there is little export of Japanese animal products such as chicken and beef and a shift from the response to domestic demand up until now is expected. Japanese beef is well-renowned globally; if you are working in the food industry, it might be best to suppress Japanese producers before it is too late.
Chart
