140 U.S. House members are urging the White House to pursue a Trans Pacific Partnership leaving out Japan and Canada. House members say support for the trade agreement will be jeopardized if negotiators don’t hold Japan and Canada to the same standard as other TPP countries. National Pork Producers Council’s Vice President and Counsel for International Affairs Nick Giordano says Japan and Canada need to be forced to agree to the same standards as others in the TPP.
Giordano says Japan is the major problem in not coming to agreement on cutting their tariffs and other sensitive goods. He says Japan needs to play ball or they’ll be left out of the TPP which will cost them in the long run.
Japan is the fourth largest market for U.S. agriculture which shipped $ 12.1 billion of products to the nation in 2013. Canada is the second largest destination for U.S. agricultural goods importing $ 21.3 billion worth last year.
