Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 4/23/19


A group of 88 U.S. companies and associations are calling on U.S. trade officials to take “swift action” to prevent the U.S. food and agriculture industry from losing access to Japan as trade with European Union and others continues to climb.

The coalition is concerned that the Trump administration’s decision to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in early 2017 has put U.S. exporters at a disadvantage as their overseas competitors win more business from Japan.

The group – which includes Tyson Foods Inc., Smithfield Foods and a wide variety of grain and dairy associations – raised the issues in a letter to U.S. Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer on behalf of farmers, ranchers and agribusiness.

Trade representatives from both countries met in Washington, D.C., for two days last week, but no announcements on any progress were disclosed. Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also is scheduled to visit Washington later this week as part of a global tour that is scheduled to include stops in Belgium, Italy and Slovakia to possibly discuss trade issues and the scheduled G20 summit in Osaka this summer.

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