Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of Japan, attended the March 22 session of the Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries Committee of the House of Councilors and answered a question asking how he will respond if the U.S. government demands Japan to further liberalize its agricultural market at the coming Japan-U.S. Economic Dialogue that is expected to begin this April, saying “we will not make any compromises at the dialogue.”
Minister Yamamoto also suggested that it will not be possible for Japan to accept a higher level of farm trade liberalization exceeding that of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.
On March 14, Robert Lighthizer, the United States Trade Representative-designate nominated by U.S. Trump’s administration mentioned that the U.S. administration will push Japan to further open its market of farm products in coming bilateral negotiations, saying “Japan will be a primary target.”
A number of U.S. farm groups announced their statements supporting the USTR-designate.
Under such conditions, Agricultural Minister Yuji Yamamoto reconfirmed his stance at the Diet committee session by saying “I do not intend to make any compromises by further opening agricultural markets of Japan, even though the United States unnecessarily presses our government at the bilateral dialogue.”