Minnesota Soybean Growers Association officials are seeing great potential for increased trade with Japan with the approval of the new trade agreement, but also some challenges to work through. Executive Director Joe Smentek says on a trade trip there in late November they asked the Japanese to lift their trade barrier on crude protein on soybeans that’s giving South American beans a leg up.

He says the Japanese are very interested in high oleic soybeans which creates new market opportunities for Midwest growers and it’s a crop that garners a premium.

Smentek says U.S. soybean growers are in a great position to supply Japanese customers with the ag products they desire.

Smentek says the U.S. Japan trade agreement is set to go into effect January 1, 2020.