Japan-US fresh potato import negotiations

Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) is reviewing a request from the United States to lift restrictions on fresh potato imports. The review process has identified 21 pest species that pose an invasion risk, including the potato cyst nematode and pale potato cyst nematode. MAFF officials have stated that securing effective risk-management measures is a “fundamental precondition” for lifting the ban, noting that negotiations are expected to be challenging.

The proposal has faced significant domestic opposition. The Japan Consumers Federation and political groups like Greens Japan have urged the government to reject the lifting of imports, citing concerns over food safety, the use of unpermitted pesticides, and the potential introduction of genetically modified or genome-edited crops.

As negotiations enter their final stages following U.S. requests to accelerate the process, domestic opposition has intensified. An online petition opposing the import lifting has surpassed 170,000 signatures, with agricultural groups such as the JA Hokkaido Central Association warning that resilient pests could cause “irreversible damage” to Japanese soil and domestic food security.