Washington has hinted that it would soon pressure Seoul and Tokyo to resume imports of U.S. beef.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick told the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance Wednesday that the office will aim to open the Mexican market first and then eventually press Japan to open up its market for American beef products. He forecast that once Japan resumes its import of U.S. beef, South Korea would soon follow suit.

Following reports last year of a case of mad cow disease in Washington State, U.S. trade officials have been working to persuade South Korea and other several nations to life their ban on U.S. beef products.