The following statement can be attributed to American Farm Bureau Federation President Zippy Duvall:
“The joint statement between President Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding the pursuit of trade opportunities that benefit both nations is great news for America’s farmers and ranchers. This affirmation by both nations to enter negotiations bodes well for the future and indicates the tide is turning for the better on agricultural trade.
“Despite substantial tariffs that limit our farmers’ and ranchers’ potential to access Japan’s food and agriculture markets, in 2017 Japan was the fourth-largest market for our agricultural goods. There is great potential for our farm exports in Japan if we remove Japanese trade barriers. Now that there is increased competition for the Japanese market due to Japan’s trade agreements with other nations, there is an urgent need to hammer out a trade agreement between our two nations.”
“In addition, this mutual agreement will address key trade issues that should create additional opportunities down the road and could lead to wider cooperation at the global level that includes the European Union. The United States is the world leader in agricultural exports and this is a key development for U.S. farm exports at a time when we desperately need this kind of good news.”
Source: American Farm Bureau Federation