By TIM ALEXANDER

Illinois Correspondent

DECATUR, Ill. — Illinois pork industry leaders praised a pending U.S.-Japan trade deal that will lower tariffs on American agriculture exports, including pork and corn, to that nation while keeping intact an import tariff on Japanese-made automobiles coming into our country.

The agreement between President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe could be made official during United Nations meetings that will take place near the end of September, according to news sources. The pending deal was a hot topic at last week’s Farm Progress Show (FPS), with Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) leaders and Sonny Perdue, USDA secretary, agreeing that the deal as it stands would be a win for U.S. farmers and ranchers.

“I think it’s going to be really good for our animal sector and agriculture in general. Like any trade negotiations, you don’t get everything you want, but it is going to be a great benefit to get us back up to what people feel they miss from the TPP (the Obama administration’s Trans-Pacific Partnership),” Perdue said during an interview in the FPS Hospitality Tent.

Moments earlier on the University of Illinois tent stage, IPPA Executive Director Jennifer Tirey told veteran farm news broadcaster Orion Samuelson the Japan deal could represent “the light at the end of the tunnel” for pork producers fighting to restore their global export market share.

“Obviously we are very concerned about China right now,” said Tirey, who was part of a discussion panel that included IPPA President Pam Janssen and Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) Communications Director Amy Roady. “With tariffs being over 52 percent right now on our product, it is inflicting damage on us.

“But we see a possible light at the end of the tunnel with talk of this possible Japan trade agreement – that would be a really big win for this industry.”

In addition to relaxing tariffs on U.S. pork and corn, the deal would also remove a 38.5 percent Japanese tariff on beef – a development the U.S. Meat Export Federation called “tremendous news for U.S. farmers and ranchers, and everyone in the red-meat chain.”

Top U.S. farm exports to Japan are corn, beef, pork, soybeans, and wheat. In 2017, the United States held a 35 percent market share of pork and pork variety meat imports purchased by Japan. Around 25 percent of all pork exported by the U.S. is purchased by the Japanese.

An Iowa State University economist projects U.S. yearly pork exports to Japan will increase from $1.6 billion in 2018 to $2.2 billion over the next 15 years, if full market access is restored.

Tirey also advocated for Congressional passage of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. “It is critical to finalize because Mexico is one of our biggest customers for ham, so we would like to see this finalized really quick.”

The topic of plant-based “meats” labeling was also addressed by the panel. “We’re extremely concerned,” she said. “We want to make sure that not only do consumers understand they are not buying meat, but that the labeling does not include the word ‘meat.’ A lot of states have already passed legislation that disallow the labeling of these products as meats, so we are really watching this.”

Janssen, a livestock producer from Minonk, said effort is being made to educate consumers about the differences between the products.

“The farther away from the farm, the less education you have. This is something that is infringing on an American farm institution, and we must be able to offer consumers a way to (distinguish) the differences,” she explained.

Earlier this summer, the ISA hosted a summit in Chicago for stakeholders from across the emerging plant-based proteins market. Samuelson did not give Roady an opportunity to contribute to the on-stage discussion before ending the panel, but Roady later told Farm World there is plenty of available market share to go around when it comes to red meat and plant-based protein.

‘When it comes to plant-based foods we realize that a lot of our soybeans are fed to pigs and chickens, but we want people to recognize that soybeans provide an important protein source and a healthy oil for people (as well),” she said.

“Whatever they are eating, people are supporting farmers, and we want them to feel good about their choices, whichever source for protein they are choosing to consume. It’s all grown by farmers, and I think there are plenty of opportunities for all of us.”