Japan, Australia to seal trade pact as U.S.-Tokyo talks heat up

Do we really need US pork?

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jamesmcwilliams/2013/10/30/u-s-pork-wallows-in-dangerous-antibiotics-pollution-welfare-violations/

Australian Beef is way cheaper than Omaha beef and tastier I heard. Pork? Some japanese do not eat. Beef Jekley taste better and healthier? Maybe Japanese will eat Ausie Beef instead of whale meat? Tastier.

Japan will agree to cut its tariffs on Australian beef below 30 percent from the current 38.5 percent and Australia

Below 30 percent? 29.5% becomes free trade? Strange...

Japan will agree to cut its tariffs on Australian beef below 30 percent from the current 38.5 percent

Would be nice if Japan would cut its tariffs, full stop.

The United States wants Japan to open its rice, beef and pork, dairy and sugar sectors - areas Abe has vowed to defend.

How about defending Japan's consumers instead of Japan's outdated farming practices? The lower prices would help consumers get over the consumption tax increase.

Bernie,

I share the sentiment, but let's just let the markets and everyday consumers decide for themselves.

The Japanese economy's trouble is because of a lack of free trade and government protection of the agricultural industry. Opening up their trade and cutting tariffs may have a negative effect on some farmers, but it will also have a huge positive effect on consumers and retailers. These bureaucratic cronies have got to wake up and realise. There is no money in Japan and the only way to recover is to open international trade. They talk about globalisation, but they have no idea what it really is. Globalisation is a two way street and they have to let international produce and companies into Japan. Globalising does not mean expanding Japan's interests overseas.

9% lower prices for meat is alot.

all of these nations should drop all tariffs on all imports from cooperating nations, there should be no tariff barriers of any kind if its free trade

"Below 30 percent? 29.5% becomes free trade? Strange..."

Yes, in the wonky Keynesian perspective that's considered "free market". Ludicrous.

" all of these nations should drop all tariffs on all imports from cooperating nations, there should be no tariff barriers of any kind if its free trade."

Hear! Hear!

No GMO foods please. Or is it already too late?

9% lower prices for meat is alot.

You'll never see the price go down. That 9% will go straight to the beef distributor's bank account. The same thing happened when the yen gained 40% against the dollar and euro a couple years ago. Did you see prices on imported goods go down then? Japanese retailers kept the extra profit to themselves instead of passing down any savings to their customers. The only exception was Costco; changes in the exchange rates are immediately reflected in Costco's retail prices. But then Costco is not a Japanese company, and the culture of price-fixing and gouging their customers is unfamiliar to them.

There will not be and cannot be any benefit to the consumers from free trade unless price-fixing by Japanese companies is punished.

Every time I cook Aussie beef the water in it has to boil off first. No thanks!

@fizzbit yeah and everytime I cook Japanese beef, after all the fat has melted away there very little beef left.

@Fizzbit

Probably because it's been frozen once already? I eat steak 3 times a week back home (Sydney) and have never had this problem. Best steaks in the world!

Australian beef. Number one, mate.

Probably because it's been frozen

that's what i thought.

That's good news, I like OZ beef, never noticed the water.. I lightly cook it though, Japanese beef is nice but it's too rich every day, American beef tastes a bit like corn and something else strange like medical (antibiotics) if I can put it that way, sorry to offend.

Then don't buy it again.

I don't. I'd rather pay 10 bucks for nice Hokkiado steak than that shitty Aussie beef.

I don't. I'd rather pay 10 bucks for nice Hokkiado steak than that shitty Aussie beef.

Ignorance is no excuse for stupidity. Australian Beef is lean, grass fed and has a distinctive flavour that makes it a pleasure to eat.

I think you should all try Canadian beef. From what I understand, Japan and Canada have included that item in their bilateral trade agreement. Unfortunately, I have a terrible problem finding a decent roast or steak in Japan's grocery stores where every meat and fish product you see is sliced into sashimi-sized pieces for quick boiling or frying. Seems no one knows what a roast beef is; at least I can't find a butcher that does, who wants less than 10,000 yen for a two-pounder.

@ FizzBit - give a thick, juicy Tasmanian steak a try- you won't be disappointed. A bit more pricey but soon to have 20% tariff taken off. Good to hear other Aussie produce - including wine and beer - will also see tariff cuts! Likewise, my folks back in Aus will be getting their Toyotas $1500-$2000 cheaper. Win-Win for the consumer. @TrevorPeace - will definitely give a Canadian steak a try if I find it!

Agriculture is not just cheap food. This is a priceless cultural and touristic asset maintained by people underpaid for the work done.

beef can be frozen but when people take out from freezer, people usually defrost before cooking.

Are there still automakers in Australia?

Angela Lansbury starred in Murder She wrote series in USA. The character, Jessica Fletcher never drove a car. I now think she does not know how to drive left-side handle USA cars and that was why she never drove a car in series. So, USA trying to sell USA cars to Japan will not work, I think. Left-side handle cars in USA are made by Toyota, Nissan, Mazda, Honda, etc. these makers do not make right-side handle cars in USA. GM and Ford make cars in China. USA wants to sell made in USA cars to Japan, not from China,

Are there still automakers in Australia?>

As far as I'm aware, they left years ago. I'm not sure if this will bring the factories back, but removing the tariffs will sell more cars in Australia, regardless.

This is also good for the Japanese farmer, in a way; it might be a wake-up call to the agricultural industry to push for reform so it could become more competitive and efficient.

I desperately want to see Japan's traditional industries survive and thrive. Maybe this competition is what it needs, and maybe with these reforms we'll start to see greater market shares for Japanese rice outside of Japan. I sure hope so. Until then, I'll be buying Japanese beef and farm products as they are far more fresh and better quality.

In Northern Calif, Farmers cultivate rice just like in Japan. Suiden (Mizuta( was started by Japanese American farmewrs. It produces Botan Maai, Cal Ros, rice, etc. Just lke Southern Ja;pan rice. /twice a year xcrops in South, Not just rice but there are variety of food products. Delicious seafood from At;antic and Pacific Oceans. Beside that, Cowboy cultures are still alive. How about Beef and pork products? Better than trying to sell cars to Japan. i

MGiganteApr. 08, 2014 - 02:16AM JST but removing the tariffs will sell more cars in Australia, regardless.

No noticeable difference. Main problem in Australia is not the tariffs, but lack of demand. It's a very small market with only 22 million people living there. Population is less than 1/5th of Japan.

@Fizzbit

Comparing Hokkaido "beef" to Australian beef highlights that you know nothing about meat. Two totally different realms.