U.S. and Japan reach tariff agreement

(Posted on 03/10/19)

The United States and Japan has announced a limited trade deal that includes Japan opening its markets to more than $7 billion in U.S. agricultural products.

President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinz? Abe announced the agreement during a meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York.

“Japanese tariffs will now be significantly lower or eliminated completely on beef, pork, wheat, cheese, corn, wine and so much more,” Trump told reporters in New York.

Trump notified Congress last week that the U.S. and Japan were prepared to enter a limited agreement that would lower some tariffs and set terms of digital trade.

Under the agreement announced this week, Japan will eliminate or reduce tariffs on an additional $7.2 billion of U.S. food and agricultural products, according to a fact sheet issued by the White House. The document said out of the $14.1 billion in U.S. food and agricultural products imported by Japan in 2018, $5.2 billion were already duty free. The fact sheet did not list tariff figures for specific U.S. agricultural commodities; but they are believed to be equivalent — with the exception of rice and a portion of dairy products — to those granted by Japan to other countries under the former Trans Pacific Partnership trade agreement from which President Trump withdrew the United States during the first year of his presidency.

“Once this agreement is implemented, over 90 percent of U.S. food and agricultural products imported into Japan will either be duty free or receive preferential tariff access,” the White House noted.

Once implemented, Japan agreed it will reduce tariffs in varying stages for beef and pork. Tariffs will be eliminated immediately on over $1.3 billion worth of several types of produce and grain sorghum.

Japan’s effective tariff on imported U.S. wheat will drop to the same level as Canadian and Australian wheat imports. This is particularly important considering the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) agreement – the successor to TPP entered into between Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam – would make U.S. wheat imports less cost-competitive compared to other CPTPP countries without a separate U.S.-Japan agreement. In addition to matching the Canadian and Australian tariff schedule for U.S. wheat, Japan agreed to open country specific quotas for U.S. wheat and wheat product imports; but those specific numbers were not contained in the materials issued by the White House this week.

According to U.S. Wheat Associates, U.S. wheat represents about 50 percent of all the wheat Japan imports each year, currently valued at more than $600 million annually.

A Trump administration official noted during a Sept. 25 conference call: “When this agreement enters into force, we will immediately match and have the same tariff treatment as is the case with Canada, Australia, New Zealand, etc.”

In a press statement, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue said the agreement “helps level the playing field” between the U.S. and Japan and “is a particularly big win for our farmers and ranchers.”

Latest News

American Feed Industry commends vital supply chain legislation

The American Feed Industry Association (AFIA) has commended Representatives Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa-02... Read more

NGFA says NASS reports are critical to agribusiness operations

In a letter to U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, the National Grain and Feed Association (NGFA... Read more

Bauxite and aluminium businesses deliver stable Rio Tinto results

Bauxite production of 13.4 million tonnes was 11% higher than the first quarter of 2023 for Rio Tinto... Read more

Rio Tinto spends more than A$16.1 billion with Australian suppliers

Rio Tinto increased its spend with suppliers and local businesses in Australia to more than A$16.1 billion... Read more

Cargill increases its renewable energy capacity by more than 40%

Cargill has reported increasing its contracted renewable energy capacity by 42% after signing five new... Read more

Agreement to set up KEZAD steel recycling and production facility

The UAE’s largest operator of integrated and purpose-built economic zones, Khalifa Economic Zones... Read more

Senate legislation includes phosphate and potash as critical minerals

The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) has praised the U.S. Senate for introducing bipartisan legislation to... Read more

Agribusiness expert’s legacy and optimism for GrainCorp’s future

Farmer, Company Director and long-standing member of the GrainCorp Board of Directors, Dan Mangelsdorf... Read more

Research offers Rotterdam guidelines for raw material transition

Different product processes, non-fossil raw materials and rare materials are crucial for a CO2-neutral... Read more

Bunge Chevron Ag Renewables to build Louisiana processing plant

Bunge and Chevron have announced approval of a final investment decision for their joint venture Bunge... Read more