Australia-Japan Bilateral Trade Agreement

Australia-Japan Bilateral Trade Agreement

Australia announced that the recent Australia-Japan agreement will see tariffs on frozen Australian beef eventually cut to 19.5 percent and chilled beef to 12.5 percent both from the current 38.5 percent over a 18 year period for frozen and a 15 year period for the chilled beef. Beef is Australian's largest ag export to Japan.

National Cattlemen's Beef Association President Bob McCan reacts to this news

McCan: "It was quite concerning to us the announcement from Australia about the bi-lateral Australia-Japan Agreement. That does reduce some of their tariffs but not in alignment with what we have discussed as far as the Trans Pacific Partnership."

While the United States seem to be willing to accept a big cut in Japanese tariffs on beef imports rather than total market access in the TPP, McCan says while that may be the best deal available - it's not the desired outcome.

McCan: "Going forward we'd just like to say that it is important as a modern trade pact — with it being a comprehensive modern trade pact — that tariff elimination is something we would be looking for and something we think would be important."

McCan says it the results of TPP will impact future free trade agreements - including with the European Union.??

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