Source: MEATINGPLACE, 2/2/15

Japan has proposed to reduce a high tariff on imports of beef as part of the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, according to a report by The Japan Times.

Tokyo would slash its beef tariff to 9 percent over 15 years from its current tariff of 38.5 percent, but also proposed a safeguard measure that would allow it to hike tariffs back up to 20 percent if U.S. beef imports exceed certain levels, the newspaper reported, citing negotiation sources.

Japan would set the threshold at or near the current import volume, according to the report. The so-called TPP quota is expected to be set at 500,000 metric tons of beef annually, roughly the current level of imports, according to the Economic Times. Pork levels are expected to be set between 500,000 and 600,000 metric tons, which is still lower than the 760,000 metric tons currently imported from U.S. and Canadian sources, the report noted.

While TPP negotiators hoped to reach an agreement in 2014, the group now expects to hold a ministerial meeting in mid-March with Singapore potentially hosting the gathering, according to the Japan Times report.

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