Reading Time: 3 minutes Tokyo | Reuters — Eleven countries aiming to forge a Asia-Pacific trade pact after the U.S. pulled out of an earlier version will sign an agreement in Chile in March, Japan’s economy minister said on Tuesday. Trade officials had been meeting in Tokyo to resolve rifts including Canada’s insistence on protections for its cultural industries […] Read more
Canada in on TPP pact, to be signed in March
TPP seen critical for beef sales growth in Japan
Reading Time: 3 minutes Canadian beef producers could be out millions of dollars in new exports if Canada is shut out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Why is it important? Beef exports, especially from Ontario, have been growing significantly to Japan and elsewhere in Asia. Allowing other competitors such as Mexico and New Zealand better access to that market, […] Read more
TPP talks without U.S. near final stretch
Reading Time: 3 minutes Urayasu, Japan | Reuters — The 11 remaining nations in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States edged toward sealing a comprehensive free trade pact after New Zealand agreed to amend laws that are not subject to TPP, to enable its ban on foreign home purchases. The pact aims to eliminate tariffs on industrial […] Read more
Japan to propose changes to beef import safeguards in talks with U.S.
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tokyo | Reuters — Japan will propose changes to its safeguard mechanism on frozen U.S. beef imports that will shorten review periods and allow importers to voluntarily lower import volumes to prevent tariffs from automatically kicking in, two government sources said on Thursday. The proposal will be made at the second round of the U.S.-Japan […] Read more
Japan beef tariff hike threatens trade relations: Perdue
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago / Reuters – Japan’s decision to hike tariffs on frozen beef imports from the United States could disrupt sales and harm trade relations between the two countries, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said on Friday. Japan will raise tariffs from August on imports of frozen beef, popular in beef bowl dishes, from the United […] Read more
EU, Japan officials seal trade agreement
Reading Time: 3 minutes Brussels | Reuters — Japan and the European Union should agree on Thursday to a free trade pact that could be completed within months, after senior officials removed final snags to a political deal intended as a signal to U.S. President Donald Trump. “We ironed out the few remaining differences,” European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom […] Read more
Pacific trade pact nations meet to discuss future without U.S.
Reading Time: < 1 minute Ottawa | Reuters — Negotiators from the remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) gathered in Canada on Tuesday seeking ways to boost free trade in the region after the U.S. pulled out of the 12-nation pact. The withdrawal killed off years of negotiations and left the region looking for ways to deepen economic ties […] Read more
Japan feedmakers to tap corn stocks after U.S. supply disruption
Reading Time: 2 minutes Tokyo | Reuters — Japan’s feedmakers are expected to tap the country’s emergency stockpiles of corn as inventories decline to critically low levels due to a delay in shipments from the U.S. Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries plans to approve the measure after heavy storms in the northwestern U.S. caused lengthy delays to […] Read more
Snow, avalanches, rain delay grain movement to U.S. ports
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — Severe winter weather has slowed rail deliveries of crops to shippers in the U.S. Pacific Northwest, sending freight rates soaring and prompting Asian buyers to seek fill-in loads as they wait for the backlog at ports to clear. Blizzards, avalanches and heavy rain in recent weeks have hit transport of corn, […] Read more
Pork packer HyLife to enter expansion mode
Reading Time: 2 minutes Manitoba hog slaughter and pork processing firm HyLife says it’s setting itself up for major expansions of its hog finishing and pork processing capacities. The company on Friday said “steady growth in demand” for its pork products overseas calls for an investment of up to $125 million in its integrated pork operations, to start “as […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
