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Trade deal would mean greater market potential in Japan

The CEO of the US Meat Export Federation says Japanese importers of US beef are excited for the market opportunities once the US-Japan trade deal is finalized. Dan Halstrom says both US beef and pork headed into Japan face a serious duty disadvantage. 

“With 12 percent disadvantage on beef compared to some of our key competitors – Australia, Canada, and Mexico,” he says.  “Seasoned ground pork is at about a 7 percent duty disadvantage as well as processed meats.”

Halstrom is in Japan with USMEF’s Heartland Team, a group of US ag industry leaders, who are traveling the country this week.

Also on that trip is Dave Priesler, CEO of Minnesota Pork.  He says more than half of the calories consumed in Japan are imported. “That’s not going to change,” he says.  “In fact, that number may even become more.  Why not have that come from, in our case, the Upper Midwest in the form of red meat?  They have a tremendous demand for it, plus we know we can supply the quality and supply they are demanding.”

The Trump Administration recently announced that a trade deal with Japan had been reached in principle.  Halstrom says there’s still no timeline to get the trade deal finalized.