Japan to Buy US Rice Within Overall Limit on Duty-Free Imports

Japan will handle US demands to buy more American rice within the confines of its existing overall cap on duty-free imports and has no plans to lower its tariffs on farm products, according to Tokyo’s top trade negotiator.

Ryosei Akazawa on Tuesday denied a report by the Nikkei newspaper last week that claimed the US had proposed including cuts to Japanese tariffs on agricultural products in an executive order on tariffs. The report also said Washington wanted to include an expansion of Tokyo’s US rice imports in the order.