Japan Reportedly Will Allow Rice Imports
Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu has decided to allow rice imports, conceding to demands from the United States and other countries, a newspaper reported today.
Imported rice would be limited to a maximum of 5% to 10% of the $23.5-billion Japanese rice market, the Yomiuri Shimbun, Japan’s largest newspaper, said.
Japan is the largest food importer among developed nations, but it prohibits rice imports to protect self-sufficiency in its staple food. Its stance on the issue has contributed to a deadlock over agricultural issues in world trade talks.
The newspaper quoted unidentified government and ruling Liberal Democratic Party officials as saying the decision would be formally announced in late June, shortly before a summit of leading industrialized nations in London.
During recent visits, Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Vice President Dan Quayle have urged Japan to help break the deadlock by allowing rice imports.
Negotiations in the Uruguay Round talks, held under the auspices of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, broke down last December over issues involving agricultural supports and import barriers.
Kaifu told reporters on Tuesday that Japan would be willing to discuss rice in the trade talks if other nations also tackle their “difficult issues.”
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