Tester Statement on U.S. – Japanese Trade Deal

Senator: Good news for farmers and ranchers; U.S. must to expand access to foreign markets, not close them off

U.S. Senator Jon Tester today released the following statement after the United States and Japan announced they had reached a limited trade deal:

“This is welcome news for Montana’s farmers and ranchers, who rely on access to foreign markets like Japan to sell their world-class products. Japan is the largest importer of Montana’s wheat, and plays a critical role in our state’s number one industry. I look forward to seeing the finalized details of the deal, and I hope it means the Trump Administration will see the wisdom of expanding access to foreign markets instead of closing them off.”

The deal opens Japanese markets to some $7 billion in American agricultural products, including U.S. beef, pork, wheat, corn, and cheese, and in return the U.S. agreed to cut tariffs on products like soy sauce, persimmons, green tea, and others.

Tester has been highly critical of President Trump’s harmful trade policy, and took to the Senate floor last week to demand the Trump Administration “quit playing games with American agriculture” in its trade and foreign policy agenda. Last month, Tester decried Trump’s mockery of the U.S. trade relationship with Japan, and invited the President to his farm in Big Sandy to meet with Montana grain producers and learn about the role Japan plays in Montana’s number one industry.