Japan halts US beef importsFrom correspondents in TokyoDecember 24, 2003JAPAN has temporarily banned the import of American beef after the US reported its first suspected case of mad cow disease, an official said today. "We are now withholding the issuance of import permits" on US beef, said Japanese agriculture ministry spokesman Hiroaki Ogura. "That means for now, (beef) imports have been banned." He said the measure enacted early this morning was temporary until further information could be gathered. US Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman announced that a cow from Washington state had tested positive for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or mad...