The Mainichi - 06 June 2026
Japan ruling party urges gov't to protect farmers in Mercosur trade talks - The Mainichi
Japan's ruling party on Friday adopted a resolution urging the government to protect domestic farmers from a potential influx of cheap products such as beef and chicken if the country negotiates an economic partnership agreement with the South American trade bloc Mercosur.
A panel of the Liberal Democratic Party also called for the government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to work to expand the export of Japanese farm products, not just industrial goods such as cars.
Japan is preparing to announce the start of negotiations with Mercosur on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in mid-June in France by setting up a summit with Brazil, which has been invited to the G7 meeting, a source familiar with the planning said earlier.
"Our concern is that worries will spread among producers of agricultural products," the resolution said, referring to the prospect of an economic partnership agreement with Mercosur, a bloc with a combined population of 300 million.
Japan wants to forge closer ties with countries in resource-rich South America, with an eye to securing a stable supply of rare earths.
Former agriculture minister Taku Eto, who heads the LDP's panel, said, "It's the responsibility of the party to defend our country's national interest and prevent a big (negative) impact on producers."
The LDP has traditionally received strong support from farmers.
