TOKYO, June. 30 — Argentina has officially opened its meat market to Japanese fresh beef, giving Japan a boost to agricultural export ambitions.
Shipments of eligible Japanese beef have been allowed to enter Argentina without any age limit conditions, the Japanese agriculture ministry said on June 29.
Japan will likely export fresh beef to Argentina for the first time in its history as early as July.
The South American country is the world’s No. 6 beef supplier and Argentineans consume almost six times as much beef per person as people in Japan.
Japanese beef is seen as a key agricultural export, so the government considers market access progress on beef would generally expand export opportunities for Japanese agriculture producers.
Japan’s total beef exports rose 4% to 19.2 billion yen in 2017 from a year earlier, following resumption of beef exports to Taiwan and the EU.
Still, New Zealand and Vanuatsu have the import ban in place.