Japanese Ambassador Visits Kansas Farm Before Trade Agreement Is Finalized

Japanese Ambassador Shinsuke Sugiyama visited a Kansas corn farm shortly before the U.S.-Japan trade agreement was made official. Senator Pat Robert had asked Kansas Corn Commissioner Pat Ross to host Japanese Ambassador Sugiyama and his wife at the Nunemaker-Ross Farm on Nov. 26 to showcase both Kansas crops and livestock. The Lawrence farm has hosted many trade teams and dignitaries over the years. The U.S.-Japan trade agreement was finalized this week.

After a discussion in the farm office with farmers and agriculture organizations, Pat and Mary Ross took the delegation on a short tour of the farm and its livestock feeding facility. During his visit, the Ambassador highlighted the value of the U.S.-Japan trade agreement to level the playing field for exports of U.S. ag products to Japan.  In addition to Senator Roberts staff and Kansas Corn, the Kansas Livestock Association, the Kansas soybean and wheat associations, Kansas Farm Bureau and the Livestock Marketing Association participated. From the farm, Pat and Mary Ross, Lowell Neitzel and Kent Nunemaker hosted the delegation.

U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement Made Official

The United States and Japan made their trade agreement official on Wednesday. The trade agreement is expected to go into effect on January 1, 2020.

The U.S.-Japan agreement solidifies trade with our second largest corn market. It reduces U.S. corn and sorghum imports to a zero-tariff level and includes a staged tariff reduction for U.S. ethanol. Japan purchased more than $2 billion of U.S. corn in the most recent marketing year. The agreement also levels the playing field for U.S. red meat. Japan is already the number one export market for U.S. beef and pork with a combined export value in 2018 of $3.7 billion.