Category Archives: Farm Policy

【Editorial】 Don’t relax rules on WTO safeguard for farm goods(Aug. 2)

Japan’s Finance Minister Taro Aso has suggested that Tokyo may relax the rules on a special safeguard (SSG), after a surge in frozen beef imports automatically triggered the trade remedy that limits the imports for the first time in 14 years. “Some say it could prolong the timeframe of application for safeguard measure. Surely there’d be some room to revisit procedural requirements,” Aso told reporters on Aug. 01, the day the SSG took effect. This issue, as he said, is to be taken up at the U.S.-Japan Economic Dialogue, which is slated for October in Washington. Aso’s comments are the latest indication that the Japanese government’s position is flexible to … Continue reading

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WTO safeguard mechanism draws fire from US meat exporters

TOKYO, July 29 — U.S. meat exporters have said Japan’s safeguard on frozen beef imports from the U.S. and other countries is not governed by free trade agreements (FTAs) with Tokyo, and called for action to change the situation that dragged Washington into the trade remedy under the World Trade Organization (WTO). The U.S. National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Craig Uden said July 28 in a statement, “NCBA opposes artificial barriers like these because they unfairly distort the market and punish both producers and consumers. “We hope the Trump Administration and Congress realize that this unfortunate development underscores the urgent need for a bilateral trade agreement with Japan absent … Continue reading

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Japanese traders not troubled by frozen beef import safeguard

TOKYO, July 28 — Japanese trading companies have said the impact of the frozen beef import safeguard would be limited, partly because they built up U.S. frozen beef inventories. They had anticipated the triggering of the safeguard due to strong beef imports in recent months. The data by the finance ministry shows that Japan’s frozen beef imports rose 15% in January-May this year from the same period a year ago, with an 18 % surge in U.S. imports, while Australian imports showed a 9 percent increase. From Aug. 01, Japan was to raise the tariff to 50 percent from its bound tariff of 38.5 percent, which Tokyo is tied to … Continue reading

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Japan to impose safeguards on beef imports from August

TOKYO, July 27 — Japan is to impose a special safeguard (SSG) measure on beef imports from Aug. 01 for the first time in 14 years due to a surge in imports of frozen beef in recent months. The exception will be beef imports from countries that have a free trade agreement (FTA) with Tokyo. That means the import restriction will be applied to the United States, New Zealand and Canada, whereas Australia, Mexico and Chili maintain better terms through FTAs with Japan. Japan will raise the tariff to 50 percent from its bound tariff of 38.5 percent, which Tokyo is bound to by the World Trade Organization (WTO). The … Continue reading

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Japan publishes list of proposed GI foods in JP-EU trade deal

TOKYO, July 23 — Japan’s agriculture ministry has published a list of proposed food names that Tokyo and Brussels agreed to mutually protect under geographical indications (GI) stipulations. The move aims to help farmers from both Japan and the EU to exclusively market their own products, but which the United States may call protectionism. The proposed list includes 71 European food names such as those referring to the cheeses as “Camembert de Normandie” and “Gorgonzola”. The Japanese ministry has preceded the evaluation process, taking public comments on the proposed GIs, followed by a group of experts assessing applications, before approving those officially registered as a GI in Japan. GI is … Continue reading

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