USDA's Vilsack visits Japan to discuss new partnership

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent time in Japan last week to speak with his agricultural counterparts as part of the recently concluded negotiations of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Japan is the fifth-largest of the markets that trade with the United States, even though the U.S. has not made progress in reducing tariffs in Japan since the World Trade Organization agreement in 1995. New opportunities in Japan include beef, pork, poultry/eggs, dairy, fruits and nuts.

Highlights of Japanese-U.S. trade on these products include the following:
--Japan is the United States’ top export market for beef and beef products and the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement will reduce tariffs on U.S. beef.
--Japan is the top market for U.S. pork and pork products. The United States exported over $120 million of poultry and poultry products to Japan in 2014.
--Japan is the sixth-largest market for United States dairy exports, almost $409 million last year. Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, many of Japan's cheese tariffs, currently ranging up to 40 percent, will be eliminated in 16 years.
--Japan is the fifth-largest market for United States fruits and nuts which also includes prepared products and juices. Japan’s tariffs are as high as 68 percent on fruits and nuts.