National & World Ag News Headlines Ag Groups Want Japan to be Part of TPP Talks USAgNet - 12/06/2011 A coalition of food and agricultural organizations has urged the Obama administration to work with Japan to smooth the way for that country's participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership. In a letter sent to U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk, the coalition said including Japan in the trade talks would generate enormous interest and support in U.S. agriculture. The coalition includes the National Pork Producers Council, American Farm Bureau Federation, the American Feed Industry Association, the American Meat Institute and Smithfield Foods, among others. The TPP is a multilateral trade agreement which currently includes Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States and Vietnam. Japan already has free trade agreements with six of the nine TPP countries. Japan is seeking to balance its trade between the United States and China in its need to boost ties with Asia, whose economic potential is essential for Japan's future growth. In 2009, China replaced the United States to become Japan's biggest trading partner. Japan's economy is second only to China’s in the region, and it is the fourth largest agricultural export market for the United States, despite the fact that it maintains substantial import barriers. Even with the barriers, U.S. exports to Japan in 2010 were nearly $12 billion. Send this article to a friend Other National Headlines Stricter Country-of-Origin Labels on Meat Imposed Senate Farm Bill Floor Consideration Begins House Ag Holds First Hearing in Process of CFTC Reauthorization Global Seed Treatment Market to Reach $4.45 Billion by 2018 Monsanto Launches Online Insect Forecasting Tool Johanns Offers, Cosponsors Amendments to Improve Farm Bill Wisconsin Raw Milk Trial to Continue into Next Week Copyright © 2013 - USAgNet.com. All Rights Reserved.