Chairman Roberts’ Statement on U.S. Beef Access to Japan

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, R-Kan., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, today released the following statement after U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced an agreement between the United States and Japan to eliminate restrictions on U.S. beef exports.

“Since 2003, our ranchers have been denied full access to this critical market, and I welcome the good news of the elimination of non-science based trade barriers that will improve U.S. beef access into Japan,” Roberts said. “There is more work to do. Rural America is hurting. I encourage the Administration to wrap up pending trade negotiations in a swift manner so that our farmers and ranchers can have certainty. I look forward to continuing to engage on important trade issues with the Administration.”

Japan is the top global market for U.S. beef. In 2018, the U.S. exported nearly $13 billion in agricultural exports to Japan, placing it as our third largest destination.

On Sept. 13, Chairman Roberts held a hearing to gain insight from the Trump Administration on its trade efforts. Roberts urged officials to strengthen current trade agreements and aggressively seek new agreements with countries like Japan. Click here to read and watch Roberts’ opening statement, as well as the full hearing.

From his post as both Chairman of the Agriculture Committee and as a senior member of the Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction on trade, Roberts has long been outspoken on the benefits of increased access to foreign markets for American farmers and ranchers. Roberts has taken his concerns directly to President Trump and high-ranking officials in the Administration on numerous occasions.

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