Japanese Agricultural Policies Towards 2000: Swimming with the Tide
Japanese agricultural policy has undergone substantial change in the last year. Since the completion of the Uruguay Round, the rice market has been partially opened, import quotas on agricultural products have been replaced by tariffs and there has been a general shift away from consumer funding of agricultural programs to funding by taxpayers. These changes are making Japanese agricultural policies more transparent and more open to scrutiny. There is now recognition in Japan that the changes are irreversible and that agriculture will be faced with increasing competition from imports.
A Review of Recent Developments in Japanese Agriculture and Agricultural Policy
This paper aims to review major recent developments in Japanese agriculture policy and to evaluate what these changes are likely to mean for the agricultural sector. An overview is provided of the Japanese economy, the position of agriculture in the economy and some of the important characteristics of Japanese farm households. The discussion then focuses on trade related policy developments, particularly those that have received most attention outside Japan. Recent important policy developments are then described for the rice industry, the focus of foreign criticism of Japan's agricultural policies, and the beef industry, an example of an industry to have recently lost protection against imports.
The Political Economy of the Uruguay Round Negotiations: A View from Geneva
In September 1986, at a meeting in Punta del Este, Uruguay, a new round of multilateral trade negotiations began. Agriculture was identified as one of the key sectors of concern in these negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). This paper seeks to explain the need for negotiations in the agricultural sector and identifies the key issues and positions before the negotiators. Prospects for the outcome of the negotiations are also examined.