The National Pork Producers Council and National Cattlemen’s Beef Association want the President to begin talks with Japan on a bilateral free trade agreement. President Donald Trump is meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday. NPPC’s Dave Warner says the meeting is an opportune time for the leaders to start the process that could expand the pork and beef market for the U.S.

He says Prime Minster Abe had wanted the U.S. to enter the Trans Pacific Partnership with Japan and ten other countries. Now that President Trump has scraped TPP it’s likely Abe will be receptive to a bilateral deal.

Warner says a bilateral pact between the U.S. and Japan could be the building block towards additional bilateral deals that could result in increased U.S. pork exports.

Japan is the highest value international market for U.S. beef and pork exports. In fiscal year 2016, Japanese consumers purchased $1.4 billion of U.S. beef products and $1.5 billion of U.S. pork products.