Japan weighs using U.S. rice imports as tariff negotiation tool with Trump

Japan is considering using increased rice imports from the U.S. as a negotiating tool in ongoing tariff talks with President Trump's administration, according to media reports. Currently, under its 1995 "minimum access" deal with the WTO, Japan annually imports about 770,000 metric tons of rice without tariffs, though it was previously criticized for protectionist policies. Last year alone, Japan imported over 346,000 tons of U.S.- grown rice, making it the country's top source of foreign rice under WTO rules.