US dairy group calls for trade talks during Trump’s visit to Japan

October 4, 2017

CHICAGO- Mark Beck, executive vice president of the US Dairy Export Council, in an interview Tuesday called for starting bilateral trade talks with Japan during a planned visit by President Donald Trump to the country in November.

Beck said that the Japanese market "is very important" for the US dairy sector, expressing his strong hope for the early conclusion of a trade deal between the two countries.

The United States withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement, while the European Union struck a broad deal on the economic partnership agreement with Japan.

Concern is growing in the US dairy industry that the EU could take the Japanese market.

"I think we want to have a fair agreement that is at least as good as any agreement you have with Europe or other countries," Beck stressed, adding, "I don't know if we want more than the TPP."

Beck also said that the Japan-EU EPA will have "impacts because of duty advantage by Europe." But he predicted such a disadvantageous situation for the United States will be corrected in "maybe one year from now." Jiji Press