TOYKO, JAPAN -- Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ended pre-shipment testing of imports of U.S. rice on July 1 for the Liberty Link (LL) genetically modified trait.  This action follows the April 1 decision of Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to discontinue its monitoring program for the LL trait on rice imported from the United States.  Both ministries noted that their actions are based on zero detections of the LL trait and the implementation of the U.S. rice industry's Seed Plan.  The U.S. industry adopted voluntary guidelines - called the Seed Plan for short - to remove LL from the rice seed supply beginning in 2007.  

"These two actions by Japan close another chapter in the Liberty Link story and demonstrate the importance of the Seed Plan," said USA Rice Federation COO Bob Cummings.  "USA Rice appreciates the efforts of USDA's Foreign Agricultural Service in assembling data and providing answers to Japan's regulators about Liberty Link.  Japan traditionally imports medium and short grain from the United States, and we have always believed that Japan's LL testing and monitoring requirements were unnecessary because LL traits did not occur in these types of U.S. rice."

Contact:  Michael Klein, (703) 236-1458

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