WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S. — USA Rice officials met on April 16 with several officials from Japan to review rice trade issues.

Naritoshi Takayama, director of the Office of International Affairs on Staple Food of Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), Katsuhiro Saka, counselor, Embassy of Japan, and Takashi Sadakane, First Secretary, Embassy of Japan, met with USA Rice's Betsy Ward, Bob Cummings and Beth Park. 
 
MAFF officials regularly visit USA Rice to review Japan's rice import situation. The two sides discussed the rice tender results for Japan's 2012 fiscal year (April 2012 — March 2013), the current supply and demand situation for rice in the U.S., and the upcoming annual 2013 U.S.-Japan Rice Technical Meeting to be held in Tokyo this summer.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Trans Pacific Partnership (TTP) trade negotiations.  Last Friday, the U.S. government announced its support for Japan's entry as a TPP member and USA Rice issued a release welcoming the announcement. Japan's entry dramatically increases the value of a TPP agreement for U.S. rice producers and exporters, and for U.S. agriculture as a whole.