Utah Reacts to Japan’s Tariff Increase on Frozen Beef
Salt Lake City – The Utah Department of Agriculture and Food and World Trade Center Utah have issued the following statements regarding the increased tariff:
“I am concerned with the impact this decision will have on Utah’s ranchers and our rural communities,” said LuAnn Adams, Utah Commissioner of Agriculture and Food. “Utah and Japan have had a strong, positive trade relationship but this tariff increase is a setback that will harm both Utahns and the Japanese people.”
“Economies work best when adopting principles of free enterprise and fair trade,” said Derek B. Miller, president and CEO of World Trade Center Utah. “The Japanese tariff on beef imports from the U.S. won’t just be detrimental to Utah companies, but to Japan’s economy as well. Japan is Utah’s seventh largest trading partner and food and kindred products is one of Utah’s top five export categories.”
In 2016 Utah’s ranchers and beef processors exported close to $3.5 million in frozen beef products. This year the state was on track to exceed that total, with frozen beef product sales reaching almost $3 million as of this month, according to Euromonitor, an international economic data tracking website.
ABOUT WORLD TRADE CENTER UTAH
World Trade Center Utah is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to accelerate growth for Utah companies through our global network, programs and services. Officially joining the World Trade Center Association in 2007, the organization has helped companies throughout the state actualize their global potential and was recognized with the 2021 President’s “E” Award for Export Service — the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. For more information, visit wtcutah.com or follow @WTCUtah on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
