Japan has agreed to import more U.S. rice within its existing tariff-free quota as part of a broader bilateral trade deal that also includes a reduction in reciprocal tariffs on U.S. and Japanese goods from a previously proposed 25% to 15%.
"We made absolutely no sacrifice in the agricultural sector," Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba told reporters. "Import volumes will remain within the minimum access framework and we retain the discretion over how much and what type (of rice) to import from each country," he added.
Japan imports around 770,000 metric tons of rice annually without paying tariffs due to a World Trade Organization "minimum access" framework implemented in 1995. Outside this quota, Japan maintains a steep tariff of 341 yen per kilogram of rice, making additional imports essentially economically impractical.
During the last fiscal year, U.S. rice accounted for about 45% of Japan's quota rice imports.
© Copyright 2025 The SSResource Media.
All rights reserved.