Dairy exporters have lost sales to Japan, sitting on the sidelines for business opportunities since the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) is now in effect.
President Trump decided to remove the U.S. from TPP shortly after he took office. Trade talks between the U.S. and Japan could result in good news for dairy producers.
“We want better than the TPP and better than the EU,” Jaime Castaneda, senior vice president of policy strategy and international trade with the National Milk Producers Federation, told Politico. “Whether we can accomplish that or not, the jury is still out.”
The new TPP agreement is more comprehensive than the deal the EU cut with Japan, the EU gained market access for cheese that the U.S. would like to exceed in a deal with Japan, Castaneda said. However, when President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe began negotiations last year the agreement was to not open up ag markets that disrupted previous economic partnerships.
A meeting between U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Japanese economic officials will occur this week to continue discussions on a deal limited to agriculture and automobiles.
Original article sourced from www.milkbusiness.com