Japan’s Farm Minister Has Firm Message on U.S. Rice Imports

Any trade agreement with the U.S. must account for declining Japanese rice consumption and shouldn’t increase the nation’s imports of farm produce significantly, according to Agriculture Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi.

Hayashi spoke in an interview in Tokyo as Economy Minister Akira Amari and Trade Representative Michael Froman held talks in the Japanese capital as they step up efforts to reach a bilateral deal before leaders of the two countries meet in Washington next week.