Japan is one step closer to re-opening its market to U.S. beef. That's according to J.B. Penn - USDA under secretary for farm and foreign ag services. He says Japanese officials formally accepted USDA's audit of its Beef Export Verification Program in talks with U.S. officials in Tokyo.

Cut #1                      :25                          Outcue... "visit in June."

Jay Truitt, vice president of government affairs for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association, says he welcomes the news from Penn. But he cautions that things rarely move as quickly as anyone likes when it comes to the U.S.-Japanese beef trade...tape

Cut #2                      :20                        Outcue… "an important factor."

Truitt also points out - even when Japan does re-open its market to U.S. beef - it will do so under terms negotiated in October of 2004 - when U.S. officials agreed to send beef only from cattle under 21-months of age. Truitt says the real goal should be to truly normalize the U.S.-Japanese beef trade.