Japanese restaurants to call for more U.S. beef imports (Chinapost.com.tw) Japanese restaurants are set to urge the government to ease restrictions on U.S. beef imports, saying the stringent rules are causing a serious supply crunch, officials said Tuesday. [News Source]

BUSINESS Many restaurants in Japan yet to serve U.S. beef (Japan Today) TOKYO — More than seven in 10 beef-serving restaurant operators surveyed have yet to use U.S. beef despite Japan's removal of an import ban in July, according to two industry groups' joint findings made available Monday. [News Source]

REFILING: Kyodo economic news summary -7- (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ ---------- Over 7 in 10 beef-serving restaurants in Japan yet to serve U.S. beef [News Source]

Japan bans entry of 1 box of U.S. beef (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ The Japanese government said Monday it will not allow a box of U.S. beef to enter the domestic market as the beef was found to have been processed in a U.S. meat-packing plant the day before the plant was certified as a supplier of Japan-bound beef. [News Source]

U.S. pins beef trade hopes on safety status (Agriculture Online) WASHINGTON (Dow Jones) -- Despite the return of U.S. beef to some foreign markets after mad-cow disease was found in the U.S. three years ago, many borders remain closed, and the Bush administration is hoping an international beef safety status will shake loose remaining barriers. [News Source]

Over 7 in 10 beef-serving restaurants in Japan yet to serve U.S. beef (Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News) _ More than seven in 10 beef-serving restaurant operators surveyed have yet to use U.S. beef despite Japan's removal of an import ban in July, according to two industry groups' joint findings made available Monday. [News Source]

Meade to hold blood drive to stem shortage (Army Times) To help make up for a blood shortage in military hospitals, exacerbated by combat, Fort Meade, Md., will hold a blood drive Dec. 20. According to Jennifer Downing, spokeswoman for Fort Meade, soldiers coming back from Iraq have to wait for a year before they are allowed to donate blood. [News Source]

South Korea rejects US request to discuss beef at FTA talks (AFP via Yahoo! News) South Korea has rejected a US demand that talks on forging a free trade agreement (FTA) include a dispute over US beef exports, officials have said. [News Source]

South Korea rejects US request to discuss beef at FTA talks (The Nation) Seoul - South Korea has rejected a US demand that talks on forging a free trade agreement (FTA) include a dispute over US beef exports, officials said Monday. [News Source]