On July 3, Marubeni Corporation (hereinafter, “Marubeni”) signed a contract with Argentine beef production company, FRIDEVI S.A.F.I.C (hereinafter, “Fridevi”) regarding the supply of beef products, by which Marubeni began importing beef products from Argentina.

Argentina produces roughly 2.76 million tons of beef annually, making it the 6th largest supplier and 10th largest exporter of beef in the world. Argentina mainly exports its beef products to places like China and Europe; until now, the Japanese government had banned the import of beef from Argentina due to the country’s use of vaccines as a measure against foot and mouth disease.

However, on June 27, 2018, the Japanese government lifted the ban on Argentine beef imports limited to the Patagonia region, due to Patagonia's status as free from foot and mouth disease without the use of vaccination.

The lifting of the import ban was the impetus for Marubeni to seek out beef producing regions of Argentina in order to begin the importation of Argentine beef to Japan. As a result, this contract between Marubeni and Fridevi, a one of the largest scale beef producing companies in the Patagonia region, was concluded. Fridevi has a proven track record of providing beef domestically and exporting it abroad in Europe; the production of high quality beef is Fridevi’s specialty.

Argentine beef has an established reputation for quality, and it is highly regarded around the world. With the import ban now lifted, Marubeni will be the first in Japan to begin importing Argentine beef to the country.

Marubeni, which owns Australian premium marbled beef producer Rangers Valley and American premium beef producer Creekstone Farms, sells premium beef in Japan and all over the world. Now, with the addition of beef from Argentina, Marubeni will strive to even further advance its global strategies for provision and sale of premium quality beef.

<Summary of Fridevi>

Company name	:	FRIDEVI S.A.F.I.C
Location	:	Ruta Provincial N1 KM3,5 Viedma Rio Negro Patagonia Argentina
Establishment	:	1983
Business description	:	Beef production