Japan's TTP Offer Has Negative Implications for U.S. Agriculture

When it comes to the Trans Pacific Partnership trade talks, Japan has so far been unwilling to negotiate on all agriculture products and eliminate tariffs on all products which has raised the ire of some U.S. commodity and farm organizations.

National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Bob McCann says

McCann: “Japan is our top export market for beef. We look forward to meeting the growing demand for beef in Japan having sold $1.4 billion of U.S. beef in Japan in 2013 — it was a big year for us. But we feel that Japan does not deserve special treatment and it must treated the same as all of the other TPP countries involved. If the United States is going to open its market to competition from other TPP countries than so should Japan.”

McCann says the NCBA will support a TPP agreement with Japan as long as the terms are for full market access and sound science. Anything less, he says is not worth the effort and would jeopardize the integrity of the TPP pact as well as any future trade pacts. He adds

McCann: “We are at a very serious juncture here in negations and here at NCBA we feel it is paramount that we stand hard with the tariff elimination part of this process.”