Rice is everything in Japan. So why won’t it buy more from the US?
Donald Trump is pressuring Tokyo to buy Californian rice, as a national shortage exposes the country’s deep-rooted resistance to foreign grain – and a politically protected industry.
US President Donald Trump has reignited a long-simmering trade feud with Japan, accusing it of being “spoiled” for refusing to buy American rice despite a domestic shortage that has driven up prices at restaurants and for households across the north Asian nation.
With only a week left to finalise new tariff schedules, Trump has threatened to formally end trade talks unless Tokyo agrees to increase agricultural imports. Rice is at the top of that list.
Jessica SierNorth Asia correspondentJessica Sier is the North Asia Correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. She is based in Tokyo, Japan. Jessica has previously written on technology, global capital markets and economics. Connect with Jessica on Twitter. Email Jessica at jessica.sier@afr.com
