The newly implemented U.S.-Japan trade agreement has the potential to significantly increase demand for U.S. pork in Japan. As such, the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) has been working across many sectors in the Japanese market to promote U.S. pork and update importers and distributors about availability.

“With tariff rates mirroring those imposed on major competitors, USMEF’s outlook for 2020 is for U.S. pork exports to Japan to reach $1.7 billion, with export volume projected to be roughly 410,000 metric tons,” the organization noted.

Further, USMEF projects that by 2025, U.S. pork exports to Japan will approach $2 billion as a result of increased consumption of U.S. red meat due to greater access for Japanese consumers and the U.S. gaining market share.

“The agreement opens new opportunities for value-added and processed red meat products, with tariffs on these products phasing to zero, which contributes to the overall growth in U.S. exports to the high-value Japanese market,” it said.

USMEF recently hosted a pork seminar and tasting session in Osaka, Japan, designed to help chilled U.S. pork displace Japanese domestic pork and Canadian pork in the market. More than 120 distributors, retailers and foodservice managers attended the seminar focused on new menu items as well as cooking methods for the foodservice sector.

At the seminar, USMEF staff explained some of the organization’s 2020 activities for U.S. pork, including introduction of low-temperature cooking methods and campaigns to promote U.S. pulled pork.

In cooperation with Cleanup, one of the largest manufacturers of kitchen equipment in Japan, USMEF also recently conducted a U.S. pork cooking seminar for 18 independent cooking instructors who each have more than 100 students.

Participants were also selected from Dreamia Club, a community website operated by Cleanup that has 21,150 members, including 2,053 cooking instructors. Rika Yukimasa, a celebrity chef and cooking specialist who is regularly featured in food magazines and television programs across Japan, presented an overview of U.S. pork and demonstrated how to prepare U.S. pork tonkatsu.

USMEF has hosted two U.S. pork regional seminars in Nagoya and Fukuoka, Japan, for more than 70 retailers, foodservice managers and distributors. These seminars encouraged end users to shift to U.S. pork and explained how the U.S.-Japan trade agreement reduces duties on U.S. pork. Updates on U.S. pork production were given, and the impact of African swine fever on the world’s pork supply was discussed. A cooking demonstration focusing on U.S. pulled pork was followed by a tasting session.

Last, USMEF held a U.S. pork seminar at the Sapporo Tokyu REI Hotel for meat processors, retailers and foodservice managers. Along with updates on U.S. pork production and the global impact of African swine fever, USMEF shared U.S. pork merchandising ideas with about 80 attendees. Andrew Lee, U.S. consulate general in Sapporo, Japan, delivered opening remarks.

A tasting session featured five U.S. pork dishes, including pulled pork, which was introduced in a cooking demonstration.