Japan-U.S. farm agreement hopes

Press, 24 May 1988, Page 39

Japan-U.S. farm agreement hopes

NZPA-AP Toakyo The Japanese beef quota system favours United States beef over that of Australia, New Zealand, and other countries, and Japan buys 71 per cent of all United States meat exports, although many of the other countries can supply much cheaper meat, says a senior official of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party. Koichi Kato, chairman of the party sub-commit-tee on liberalistion of beef and citrus said: “European beef costs 50 per cent of Japanese beef, American beef costs about 40 per cent and Australian beef costs only 25 per cent of Japanese beef. “Why, then, don’t we all buy Australian beetf?” he ‘said. “The answer's very

simple. Japan, United State and Europe, all are there to protect their beef industry." Meat import protection in the United States “is promoted by exactly the same organisation which demands liberalisation of the Japanese beef market,” he said. He said he was “hopeful that a bilateral agreement will be reached” on the beef and citrus negotiations between the two countries.

A bilateral agreement limiting United States beef and citrus imports to Japan expired in March. Talks to establish a new timetable for market liberalisation broke down, and Washington took the case before the General Agreement on and Trade on May 4.