Category Archives: Trade Talks

TOKYO, March. 9 ― Japan will slash its sales prices for imported wheat by 1.7 percent from April, due to a drop in freight costs and a cut in the country’s mark-up prices following the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. The agriculture ministry announced on March 8 that it will set the weighted average selling prices for five varieties at 54,630 yen a metric ton. Japan has cut its mark-up prices on imported wheat, a move to lower the cost of imported wheat for Japanese millers and help them to compete with wheat imports. Japan is one of the world’s largest wheat importing country, with 90 percent of 6 million metric … Continue reading →

BEIJING, April 30 – Toshihiro Nikai, secretary-general of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said during his visit to Beijing he hopes China will relax imports of Japanese farm products introduced following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear accident. “There is hope,” Nikai said during a news conference held on April 29 at the Japanese Embassy in Beijing. “We will offer cooperation as much as we can to pave the way (for this goal).” “Responding to many farmers’ expectations is one of the party’s most important issues,” he told reporters, stressing the LDP’s stance of attaching importance on agricultural policies. During his visit to China between April 24 and 29, Nikai urged the … Continue reading →

WASHINGTON, April 28 – In a meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 26 (April 27 Japan time) at the White House, U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Japan to end tariffs on U.S. agricultural products in the bilateral trade talks. Trump expressed determination to reach an agreement, indicating a deal might be reached by late May. Tokyo reiterated the need to proceed with the talks based on the joint statement issued by the two countries last September which stated that “with regard to agricultural, forestry, and fishery products, outcomes related to market access as reflected in Japan’s previous economic partnership agreements constitute the maximum level.” The Japanese officials said … Continue reading →

TOKYO, March. 9 ― The EU is set to lift import bans on milk and dairy products from Japan on March 26, opening doors to Japanese products, such as cheese and cakes, the Japanese agriculture ministry has said. The announcement came after Japanese milk and dairy products were on the exemption list by the European Commission. It coincides the timing of the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which took effect on Feb. 01. Products whose egg and dairy products content amounts to 50 percent and below can enter into the EU market as early as March 26. But products whose egg and dairy products content amounts to 50 percent and … Continue reading →

TOKYO, April 13 – As Japan and the United States are set to launch talks on a trade pact in Washington on April 15, the ruling Liberal Democratic Party held a meeting on trade negotiations on April 12 and adopted a resolution calling on the government to avoid reaching an agreement that is beneficial only to the U.S. The party asked Toshimitsu Motegi, minister in charge of the trade talks, the same day not to agree on reducing tariffs on agricultural products beyond levels agreed under the initial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks before the U.S.’ withdrawal. The LDP’s resolution was aimed at urging the government not to make … Continue reading →