Farmscape for April 29, 2019

The National Pork Producers Council is applauding progress on U.S. efforts to reach a new free trade agreement with Japan.
The National Pork Producers Council is urging the Trump administration to expeditiously negotiate access for U.S. pork in Japan that is to equal or better than access extended by Japan for pork from the 11 member nations of the Comprehensive Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union.
Negotiations between the U.S. and Japan aimed at reaching a free trade agreement got underway earlier this month.
Jim Monroe, the Senior Director of Communications with the National Pork Producers Council, says U.S. pork producers continue to lose market share in Japan.

Clip-Jim Monroe-National Pork Producers Council:
U.S. pork is facing headwinds in a number of export markets.
The good news is that the United States is currently in negotiations with Japan.
That can not move fast enough for us.
They have recently implemented new trade agreements with other countries including countries of the European Union and those that are participating in the TPP-11 agreement and that is already causing the U.S. to lose market share in the pork market in Japan because we don't have the terms that those countries have so we need to get back on a level playing field and form a new trade agreement with Japan as quickly as possible.
So USMCA, getting that ratified, getting a new agreement with Japan and from there expanding export opportunities where we have amazing export opportunities, great demand for our product, that's what we want to see happen.

U.S. President Donald Trump has indicated trade discussions are moving along nicely and an agreement with Japan could be reached as soon as next month.
For Farmscape.Ca, I'm Bruce Cochrane.

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