U.S. Share of Japan Beef Market Shrinks in January

Members of the TPP saw their beef exports to Japan increase by more than 50% in the month of January.  This came as U.S. beef exports to Japan grew 21%, while the American share of the market shrank by 6%.  MeatingPlace.com said the news comes on the heels of U.S. Trade Rep Robert Lighthizer saying he’d like to begin discussions on a bilateral trade agreement with Japan in March.

U.S. producers lost out on Japan’s tariff decreases, which eventually will drop to 9%, since President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the trade pact in 2017.  The Japanese Finance Ministry says TPP members Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and Mexico shipped 33,000 metric tons of beef to Japan in January, up 56% year over year.  The tariff rate for these countries dropped from 38.5% after the agreement took effect down to a current 27.5%.

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