U.S. Fresh Potato Exports to Japan Pt 1
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson. During a visit to our nation’s capital last week, by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a bipartisan group of Senators wanted to see the Biden Administration apply pressure in order to get fresh U.S. potatoes into Japan.
National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles says the potato industry was watching …
QUARLES … “In conjunction with that visit, you had a group of ten Senators led by Senator Cantwell in Washington and Senator Risch from Idaho, write a letter to President Biden urging him to jump start the technical discussions over U.S. market access to Japan for fresh potatoes.”
It’s been requested of Japan, Quarles says for at least 30 years …
QUARLES … “But it really got ramped up in the last five years on the U.S. side, but the Japanese government has not moved forward one bit in those five years.”
And the Senators, Quarles says felt this was a good opportunity to turn up the pressure …
QUARLES … “I think the Senators are trying to provide some assistance to the administration, political assistance to push past a lot of domestic protectionism within Japan and finally get the process moving.”
Tune in tomorrow for more on our Congressional push and our potato industry’s long-running efforts to get U.S. fresh potatoes accepted in the Japanese market.
