Japan still won’t accept fresh U.S. potatoes. Idaho officials are putting the pressure on

(Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho officials continue to put pressure on the Japanese government after years of trying to get fresh Idaho potatoes into their market.

This week, Idaho officials and officials with the U.S. Department of Agriculture met with their Japanese counterparts in Idaho Falls for a Plant Health Bilateral Meeting. These meetings promote agricultural trade between the U.S. and foreign countries.

The U.S. has exported frozen potatoes to Japan to make chips since 2006, but it has yet to export fresh potatoes, despite first requesting access to the Japanese market nearly 30 years ago.

U.S. officials are determined to bring fresh potatoes to Japan, as exports to the country would lead to an estimated $150 million to $200 million annually once opened, according to a press release from the National Potato Commission. Idaho is the largest producer of potatoes in the country, harvesting about 310,000 acres annually and accounting for more than $1.3 billion in revenue in 2023, according to the governor’s office.

Part of the process to export agricultural goods is completing a pest risk assessment. Japan has agreed for several years to conduct the assessment on Idaho potatoes, but they still have not.

Sam Eaton, the vice president of legal affairs at the Idaho Potato Commission, told the Idaho Capital Sun that Japan is protective of its own potato industry, which is why it is delaying the trade process.

In a letter welcoming the Japanese government to Idaho, Idaho Gov. Brad Little said he is proud to have Japan as a trading partner, but he is hopeful that Japan will soon accept fresh Idaho potatoes.

“As you know, Idaho and the entire U.S. potato industry have been working hard to gain market access for table stock potatoes in Japan,” Little said in the letter. “While we appreciate the ongoing discussions between our two nations, we are disappointed in the lack of meaningful progress, particularly with the Pest Risk Assessment. I am hopeful your trip to Idaho is a productive step toward the timely completion of the PRA.”

Federal officials have long pushed for acceptance of fresh potatoes in Japan

Over the last year, there has been a lot of movement to try to get Japan to accept fresh potatoes, Eaton said.

In April, a group of 37 Republicans and Democrats in Congress sent a letter to President Joe Biden ahead of the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to the U.S. In the letter, the congressmen requested he help promote fresh potato access to Japan.

“There is no valid phytosanitary justification for these delays, as the U.S. potato industry has a strong history of exporting fresh potatoes to many markets, including South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand,” the congressmen wrote. “These exports occur safely and routinely throughout the year, providing benefits both for consumers in the Indo-Pacific and our growers here in the United States.”

National Potato Council CEO Kam Quarles, who attended the Idaho Falls meetings, said he will continue to support the industry’s ongoing efforts to open the market for U.S. fresh potatoes.

“Gaining full access to the Japanese market for U.S. fresh potatoes has been a focus of the potato industry for at least two decades, yet Japan continues to stall and delay the negotiations,” Quarles said. “The U.S. potato industry urges our partners at USDA to require Japan to uphold their international obligations. Securing access will help to reduce the U.S. agricultural trade deficit, benefitting American workers throughout the supply chain and Japanese consumers alike.”

Idaho officials, including Little, will travel to Japan and Taiwan in November for a trade mission.