A U.S. government representative is scheduled to visit Japan soon for talks on Tokyo's ban on U.S. beef imports, which was imposed in December following the outbreak of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), or mad cow disease, in the United States. Because wide disagreement exists on this issue between the two sides, however, it may take a considerably long time before a final settlement is reached.

An American request for an early resumption of imports is expected, as an extended ban will deal a heavy blow to the U.S. cattle industry. Washington says U.S. beef is safe since it has taken additional safety measures, such as banning the distribution of all meat from "downers" -- sick cattle that can't walk properly. Measures such as these, which were announced in late December, are welcome, but they are inadequate in light of the fact that cows other than downers have also been found infected with the disease.

Japanese officials say assuring the safety of U.S. beef is the primary condition for resuming imports. Tokyo is expected to request that the U.S. test all cattle before they are slaughtered, as Japan is currently doing. The bottom line is that the U.S. should carry out full-scale tests in ways similar to, if not identical to, Japan's. A hasty settlement, not to mention a political compromise, would only undermine consumer confidence. There must be little or no difference between testing standards for Japan's domestic beef and those for beef exported from countries with BSE cases.