Japan Grain & Cereals insights

[Korean Farmers' Newspaper] Recently, reports have proliferated about the U.S.-Japan mutual tariff negotiations, claiming that "Japan has opened its rice market," leading to arguments that Korea should also open its agricultural market to gain practical benefits such as reduced automobile tariffs. However, Japan's negotiation content merely adjusted the proportion of U.S. rice without increasing the total amount of rice imports. Japan's Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries also clearly stated that "there will be no additional imported rice." To frame this as a "market opening" and exert pressure on Korean agriculture to open is a distortion of reality and irresponsible manipulation of public opinion. The situations of Korea and Japan are different. Japan's TRQ (Tariff Rate Quota) quantities are allocated by country.

[Korea Farmers' News Agency, Reporter Kim Kyung-wook] - Japan opens rice market, blocks mutual tariffs and tea tariffs at 15% (KBS) - Japan opens car and rice markets, lowers tariffs to 15%... What about Korea? (Chosun Ilbo) - Japan invests 760 trillion won, opens rice market... protects car industry (Seoul Economic Daily) - Japanese Prime Minister, having conceded rice market, received car tariff concessions... "Secured the lowest tariff rate among surplus countries with the US" (Maeil Business Newspaper) - Even if the 'rice market' is opened... Japan will maintain its superiority in the global car industry (Culture Daily) These are the reports that poured in domestically after the conclusion of the US-Japan tariff negotiations on July 23. Following Japan's example in its negotiations with the US, Korea is also considering conceding its agricultural market.

While Japan was negotiating agricultural market access with the United States, Agriculture Minister Shinjiro Koizumi was busy implementing policy to abandon competitive bidding and set rice prices by government decree. This contradiction between Japan’s negotiating position and its domestic policy demonstrates a dangerous erosion of crisis standards that threatens both bilateral trade relations and the