Press Releases

Today, Congressman Jodey Arrington (TX-19) congratulated the Trump Administration on reaching a trade agreement with Japan that will deliver a major victory to farmers and ranchers in West Texas and across the United States. Specifically, the agreement provides increased market access for American agriculture producers by significantly reducing or completely eliminating tariffs on $7.2 billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods. “Opening up access to the Japanese market for our agriculture products is a major win for US farmers and ranchers as well as rural America,” said Arrington. “Doing more free and fair trade deals in the Asia Pacific region will also mitigate China’s unjustified tariffs and pressure them to stop their unfair practices. Free market reforms at home and America-first trade policies abroad will ensure the United States will remain the land of opportunity and unparalleled prosperity for the next generation.” Background

• Japan is the United States’ third-largest agricultural export market with 127 million customers.
• Out of $14.1 billion U.S. food and agriculture products imported by Japan in 2018, $5.2 billion were already duty free.
• Under the new agreement, Japan will reduce or eliminate tariffs on additional $7.2 billion of U.S. food and agricultural products.
• Japan will reduce tariffs in stages on products valued at $2.9 billion, including: fresh and frozen beef, and fresh and frozen pork.
• Japan will immediately eliminate tariffs on more than $1.3 billion of U.S. farm products, including: almonds, blueberries, cranberries, walnuts, sweet corn, grain sorghum, food supplements, broccoli, and prunes.
• Japan will also have staged tariff elimination on an additional $3 billion worth of products, including: wine, cheese and whey, ethanol, frozen poultry, processed pork, fresh cherries, beef offal, frozen potatoes, oranges, egg products, and tomato paste.