Source: PRESS RELEASE, 2/24/14

Editor's Note:  US Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Kay Hagan (D-NC) signed the letter.

A bipartisan group of U.S. senators led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) urged the top U.S. trade negotiator to negotiate a comprehensive and acceptable agreement with Japan that will increase market access for all agricultural products as part of the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership talks.


In a letter to United States Trade Representative Michael Froman sent on Friday to coincide with key talks over the weekend, the senators expressed concern that Japan has not yet made a comprehensive offer on agricultural talks that would increase access for U.S. agricultural products in Japan.  The senators said the lack of a comprehensive agreement would undermine the Administration’s “goal of significantly increasing market access for U.S. agricultural products in TPP party countries.”


In addition to Grassley and Bennet, the senators signing the letter are Mark Pryor, Joe Donnelly, Kay Hagan, Mark Udall, Pat Roberts, John Cornyn, James Inhofe, Mark Kirk, John Thune, Mike Johanns, John Boozman, Roy Blunt, Rob Portman, Deb Fischer, Richard Burr and Jerry Moran.

The text of the letter is available below:


Dear Ambassador Froman:


We write to express our concerns that Japan has not yet made a comprehensive offer on agricultural products as part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. We believe that this situation could undermine the Administration’s goal of significantly increasing market access for U.S. agricultural products in TPP party countries.


In previous trade negotiations, the United States requested and received full and comprehensive liberalization in the agricultural sector from both developed countries like Japan as well as developing countries. By requesting special treatment for its agricultural sector in the TPP, Japan may upset the careful balance of concessions that the eleven economies involved in the negotiations have achieved. If Japan continues to insist on protecting certain agricultural products, other countries with sensitivities in the agricultural sector may make similar demands.


As intended, the TPP will facilitate additional trade relationships with Asia-Pacific countries and set an important precedent for future trade agreements. Most immediately, a positive outcome with Japan on sensitive agricultural products will buoy the prospects for reaching an acceptable agreement with the EU in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations.


The market access package that the Administration negotiates with Japan has the potential to support billions of dollars in future exports and hundreds of thousands of jobs. For this reason, we seek assurances from you that the U.S. will not close the TPP negotiations without an acceptable comprehensive agreement with Japan to eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers in agriculture.

Sincerely,