Kevin Kester
National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) President Kevin Kester released the following statement in response to the announcement that the United States and Japan will pursue a bilateral trade agreement:
“The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association strongly supports President Trump’s commitment to expanding trade with Japan. Today’s announcement is exciting news for America’s beef producers because Japan is our top export market, accounting for nearly $1.9 billion in U.S. beef sales in 2017. Unfortunately, U.S. beef faces a massive 38.5 percent tariff in Japan—a trade barrier that hurts America’s beef producers and Japanese consumers. NCBA has been a strong advocate for a bilateral trade deal between our nations and looks forward to working closely with the Trump Administration to secure increased market access for our industry. We congratulate President Trump and Prime Minister Abe for taking this important step in our trading relationship. The faster negotiations conclude, the faster U.S. producers can provide more Japanese consumers with the high-quality beef they demand.”