DES MOINES, IOWA (September 25, 2019) — Governor Kim Reynolds released the following statement today after President Trump and Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzō Abe signed a US-Japan Trade Agreement during a United Nations summit to cut tariffs on agricultural and industrial products as well as provide rules for digital trade:
“President Trump’s US-Japan Trade Agreement is a decisive victory for Iowa farmers. Japan is a key export market for beef, pork, and corn, which is why this trade agreement brings much-needed stability to Iowa’s ag-economy.
“I look forward to leading a trade-mission to Japan later this year and building an even stronger relationship with this important trading-partner.
“When we expand and open new markets, Iowa producers win every single time. Congress must now take the next step to officially ratify USMCA and build on the success President Trump has secured today for Iowa and the country.”
Japan is the largest export-market for US beef-producers and the second-largest for pork and corn-producers. Iowa exporters shipped $491 million in corn products, $370 million in pork products, and $135 million in beef products to Japan in 2018. Gov Reynolds will lead an agriculture trade mission to Japan in November, focusing on meat-exports.
