Japanese people are “likely to support” an expansion in rice imports at a time when prices remain elevated, a senior Japanese government official said.
But many lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party are cautious about an increase in rice imports ahead of a parliamentary election this summer as such a measure is expected to alienate farmers, the party’s key support base.
“Rice is a politically sensitive issue,” said Shunichi Suzuki, chairman of the LDP’s General Council. LDP Secretary-General Hiroshi Moriyama also expressed a cautious stance about expanding rice imports.
In high-level tariff talks in Washington last week, the US side asked Japan to further open up its markets for meat, soybeans and potatoes as well as rice and review its quarantine requirements, according to Japanese government officials.
The Japanese government plans to compile this week details of its proposals to be presented to the US side, including in the agriculture and auto sectors.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
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