On April 22 NAEGA joined 88 other food and agriculture organizations in a letter to U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer regarding negotiation and implementation of a U.S.-Japan trade agreement. The letter emphasizes that any agreement with Japan must: include market access provisions that at least equal the terms of the CPTPP and the EU-Japan EPA in the first stage of implementation, and where possible build upon those precedents; accelerate phase-in of tariff cuts to ensure the U.S. is not facing a disadvantage on tariff or TRQ quantity access compared to other countries; and address non-tariff barriers, such as sanitary and phytosanitary measures, biotechnology, TRQ administration, and geographical indications.
A copy of the letter can be found here.