TOKYO -- Japanese beef producers are finding a ray of hope in exports to the U.S., after being hit hard by the coronavirus crisis. The pandemic has caused a plunge in consumption in the absence of tourists from abroad and plunged restaurants into the doldrums.
In a spotlessly clean meat-processing plant a short drive from container terminals at the Port of Long Beach in California, workers weigh blocks of wagyu Japanese beef and place them on slicing machines. The machines begin to rhythmically move from side to side and cut the meat into thin slices. The workers then quickly stack the slices on trays.
