Taiwan to reopen market to Japanese beef after 16-year ban

TOKYO, July 19 — Taiwan will lift bans on imports of Japanese beef as early as September, with a condition of a 30-month age limit, officials said. It will be 16 years after this once major market shut its doors. Taiwan banned import of Japanese beef in 2001 due to an outbreak of mad cow disease, or bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), in Japan. Since 2004, Tokyo has requested Taipei to lift the ban, and the two have discussed food safety conditions for imports. Lifting the import ban is a critical first step for resuming Japanese beef exports to Taiwan, though the condition of cattle eligibility is imposed. In pre-BSE era, … Continue reading

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JA Bank deposits exceed 897 billion US dollars in June

TOKYO, July 14 — The financial arm of Japan’s agricultural cooperatives says its deposits, known as JA Bank, have reached more than 100 trillion yen (some 897 billion dollars), at a time when the country’s low interest rate environment is expected to stay for some time. JA Bank deposits totaled 100.48 trillion yen at the end of June 2017, Norinchukin Bank said. The bank achieved the 100 trillion yen target more than a year ahead of its 3-year business plan. The bank said it will continuously provide services that meet customers’ needs and increase market share.

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New Orange Bar at Matsuyama Airport in Ehime Prefecture selling orange juice right out of the faucet

EHIME,  July 21 ― On July 20,  at Matsuyama Airport in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, a bar specialized in citrus made in Ehime Prefecture celebrated its opening. And guess what. Here at the “Orange Bar” located on the first floor of the arrival lobby, you can always buy orange juice right out of the faucet. The shop got the idea from one of the urban legends that “in Ehime Prefecture, you can get orange juice directly out of the faucet.” By showing that the legend is true, the prefecture is trying to impress vacationers and business travelers that they are in the largest citrus fruit producing prefecture in Japan. The … Continue reading

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TPP-11 talks end; No progress on how to bring deal into force

HAKONE, July 14 — Senior trade officials from the 11 signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have wrapped up a two-day meeting that ended July 13 in Hakone, a lake resort near Tokyo, producing no progress on how to bring the deal into force without the United States. In May, 11 countries agreed to explore how the TPP deal is being implemented without the U.S. They now aim to reach an agreement in November when their leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. At the Hakone meeting, several countries asked to make changes of the deal, in which they had to … Continue reading

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Japan to outline farm support policy following JP-EU trade deal

TOKYO, July 15 — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has outlined government policy principles which include farm support programs to help producers adjust to increased EU agricultural food products entering Japan. The move comes as Tokyo and Brussels reached a political deal on the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) earlier this month. The policy will be elaborated upon in a paper likely to be published in autumn. Chairing the first meeting on July 14 of the new consolidated headquarters that presides over trade policymaking across government agencies, Abe declared: “As a unified team, the government will make comprehensive policy proposals.” The aim of the new headquarters is to facilitate Japan’s … Continue reading

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