Several in farm country applaud President Trump’s U.S. Japan trade deal. The announcement is a welcome win for the heartland as other trade agendas stall in Congress.
Details are still coming in, but according to the preliminary deal, Japan will eliminate or reduce tariffs on $7.2 billion dollars worth of U.S. farm goods. Farmers have been operating at a disadvantage in Japan since the White House backed out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement. The new pact with the island nation also includes commitments to open markets on $40 billion worth of digital trade between the two countries.
Trade is a main agenda item heading into the 2020 election. Although the latest agreement is a win for the Trump administration, farmers continue to push for a finalized U.S. Mexico Canada Agreement, and a trade pact with China. The two deals together represent more than half of the U.S. export market.
The U.S. Japan trade agreement will take effect on January 1st.
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association President Jennifer Houston praises the announcement, saying,
“We are grateful for President Trump’s leadership and for the hard work of our trade negotiators who fought hard to strengthen our access to the Japanese market future generations of American ranching families will benefit from trade with Japan.”
U.S. Wheat Associates President Vince Peterson says,
“As we hoped, the text confirms that the agreement will put U.S. wheat back on equal footing with wheat from Canada and Australia when it is implemented. “In addition, Japan has agreed to open country-specific quotas for U.S. wheat and wheat product imports. The Trump administration understood what was at stake for U.S. wheat farmers and made sure to have our backs in this agreement.”
