Japan to restart U.S. beef imports

HONG KONG — The U.S. Department of Agriculture said an agreement has been reached with Japan to restart U.S. beef exports, pending planned inspections of meat-processing plants by Japanese officials, the Nikkei reported.

"We have reached an agreement and are working to finalize the language of the agreement now," Department of Agriculture spokesman Ed Lloyd said in the report by Nikkei, Japan's leading business daily.

Lloyd reportedly added Japan is expected to lift its ban "expeditiously upon completion of the audits."

U.S. beef exports were suspended in January after Japanese officials found a veal shipment that contained spinal material, which Tokyo considers a potential conveyor of mad cow disease.