Japanese Govt Mulls Boosting U.S. Corn Imports in Tariff Negotiations

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:09 JST, April 25, 2025

The government is considering a plan to increase imports of U.S.-grown corn as a possible card to play in upcoming tariff negotiations with the United States, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

The government anticipates this corn could be used for next-generation sustainable aviation fuel and livestock feed, according to multiple government sources.

Economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa will visit the United States from April 30 to May 2 for ministerial-level talks with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and other officials. Tariff negotiations are expected to get into full swing at these meetings.

The United States is Japan’s biggest supplier of corn. In 2024, Japan imported about 11.5 million tons of the grain (worth about ¥459 billion) from the United States. No tariffs are applied to corn for livestock feed.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had secretly instructed relevant government ministries and agencies to examine demand in the domestic market for corn for animal consumption. The use of imported corn for sustainable aviation fuel appears to reflect consideration of U.S. expectations that this could be a way to boost their corn exports, according to the sources.

The United States is the world’s largest corn exporter and has even shipped its corn to China, which has imposed tariffs. The government is considering increasing imports of U.S. soybeans, a large proportion of which had been exported to China. In a similar vein, the government is toying with the idea of sounding out the United States about buying corn exports that had originally been destined for China, as the amount going to China is expected to decline due to tariffs.

In negotiations for a Japan-U.S. trade agreement conducted during U.S. President Donald Trump’s first administration, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accepted Trump’s demand and promised to boost imports of U.S. corn. This move prevented additional U.S. tariffs being slapped on Japanese cars.

In a recent social media post, Trump cited Japanese vehicle safety standards as a major nontariff barrier. Based on this, Ishiba told the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry to examine whether there was any room for revising this situation. Ishiba plans to carefully think over this issue while continuing to consider the impact any changes could have on vehicle safety.

The government’s Comprehensive Response Headquarters for U.S. Tariff Measures was to hold a meeting Friday. All Cabinet ministers were to attend this meeting and closely examine bargaining chips for the negotiations. Given the ongoing rice shortage in Japan, boosting imports of this staple is shaping up as a powerful card.

The government’s top priority is convincing the United States to rethink the tariffs imposed on automobiles. Akazawa will likely present a package of negotiation items during his second round of talks with Bessent and other U.S. officials, and push for a response from the U.S. side.

“We’ll put items of great interest to both sides on the table and then discuss them,” Akazawa said to reporters Thursday.