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State ag officials attend signing of U.S.-Japan trade agreement at White House
Story Date: 10/8/2019
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Source: PRESS RELEASE, 10/7/19
Today the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA) joined other leading agricultural stakeholders at the White House to witness the signing of the initial U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement. Indiana Director of Agriculture Bruce Kettler, At-Large Member of NASDA’s Board of Directors and Chair of NASDA’s Plant Agriculture & Pesticide Regulation Committee, and NASDA CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn were in attendance. Once implemented, the Agreement will enable U.S. agriculture and food exporters to compete on a more level playing field in the Japanese market.
“The first stage of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement comes at a critical time for the U.S. agriculture community,” said NASDA CEO Dr. Barbara P. Glenn. “With all the uncertainty in the global marketplace, securing an initial agreement with Japan ensures that U.S. producers will have increased access to the lucrative Japanese market.”
The agreement will eliminate or lower tariffs for 90% of U.S. food and ag products imported to Japan and, upon implementation, will put American farmers and ranchers on the same footing as Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP) countries also trading with Japan. Specifically, the agreement will:
• Immediately eliminate tariffs for almonds, walnuts, blueberries, cranberries, sweet corn, grain sorghum, broccoli, and more.
• Reduce tariffs on products such as fresh and frozen beef and pork.
• Provide a country-specific quota for wheat and wheat products.
• Reduce the mark-up on imported U.S. wheat and barley.
• Provide staged tariff elimination for products such as cheeses, processed pork, poultry, beef offal, ethanol, wine, frozen potatoes, oranges, fresh cherries, egg products, and tomato paste.
The United States will provide tariff elimination or reduction on agricultural imports from Japan valued at $40 million in 2018, including products such as certain perennial plants and cut flowers, persimmons, green tea, chewing gum, and soy sauce.
NASDA represents the elected and appointed commissioners, secretaries, and directors of the departments of agriculture in all fifty states and four U.S. territories. NASDA grows and enhances agriculture by forging partnerships and creating consensus to achieve sound policy outcomes between state departments of agriculture, the federal government, and stakeholders.
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