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On December 20, 2019, the Government of Japan announced its intent to revise the Temporary Tariff Measures Act to eliminate the pork safeguard (SG) which had applied to all trading partner members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The change is expected to come into effect for Japan Fiscal Year 2020 beginning April 1, 2020. Following implementation of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement on January 1, 2020, virtually all of Japan’s pork imports will come from trade agreement partners with separate safeguard mechanisms, making the WTO safeguards unnecessary.
The pork SG last triggered in August 2004. When triggered, the SG raised the gate price for imported pork from 524 yen/kg to 653 yen/kg for the remainder of the year (for more details see JA9026). Under the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement, U.S. pork is instead subject to country-specific safeguards for pork with lower tariff increases that are eventually eliminated. For more information, see the pork fact sheet from the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) website.
Japan announced that it will maintain its special safeguard (SSG) for pork as part of its commitments under the WTO Uruguay Round. The pork SSG last triggered in September 1996. When triggered, the SSG increases the ad valorem tariff from 4.3 percent to 5.7 percent for the remainder of the year on pork imports from countries that do not have a trade agreement with Japan (see JA9026). The United States will no longer be subject to the pork SSG.
Monday, December 30, 2019 /USDA/ U.S.A.
https://apps.fas.usda.gov/
