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Media Advisory No. 0106.15
Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623 Agriculture Secretary Vilsack to Travel to Japan to Discuss Trans-Pacific Partnership, Strong U.S.-Japan Trade
WASHINGTON, Nov. 11, 2015 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will travel to Tokyo, Japan, November 19-21 to meet with his counterparts and underscore the strong, decades-long partnership between the United States and Japan. Japan is the fifth largest market for U.S. agricultural exports.
The United States concluded negotiations on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with Japan and 10 other nations on October 5, 2015. Countries in the Trans-Pacific Partnership currently account for up to 42 percent of all U.S. agricultural exports, totaling $63 billion. Thanks to this agreement and its removal of trade barriers, American agricultural exports to the region are poised to expand even further.
Secretary Vilsack will meet with Japanese Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Hiroshi Moriyama, Minister of Health, Labor, and Welfare Yasuhisa Shiozaka, and other Japanese and U.S. government officials.
“The bilateral U.S.-Japanese relationship is important to the prosperity of both countries, and I look forward to using my time in Japan to strengthen our bond for years to come,” said Vilsack. “This is my first meeting with both Ministers, and I intend to underscore how the TPP will strengthen trade throughout the Pacific Rim region, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs in the food and agricultural sectors in the United States and Japan, alike,” Vilsack said.
Vilsack will also meet with U.S. exporters and Japanese importers, and participate in a Town Hall meeting with Japanese high school, undergraduate and graduate students to underscore our nations’ strong bond and the importance of young people considering a career in agriculture.
Japan purchased more than $13 billion in U.S. food and agricultural products in fiscal year 2015. The top U.S. agricultural commodities shipped to Japan are coarse grains, red meats, soybeans, tree nuts and fresh processed fruits and vegetables.
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