Canadian growers should be aware of the more favourable circumstances for some American horticultural products going to Japan. The competitive landscape changed with the recent signing of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement on the sidelines of UN meetings.

Japan has committed to eliminating tariffs, enacting tariff reductions, or allowing a specific quantity of imports at a low duty (generally zero). Importantly, the tariff treatment will match the tariffs that Japan provides preferentially to countries such as Canada in the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CP-TPP). The deal also underlines the American preference for bilateral trade deals. 

Out of the $14.1 billion in U.S. food and agricultural products imported by Japan in 2018, $5.2 billion were already duty free. Under this first-stage initial tariff agreement, Japan will eliminate or reduce tariffs on an additional $7.2 billion of U.S. food and agricultural products.
 

Tariffs will be eliminated immediately on more than $1.3 billion of U.S. farm products including, for example:
•   almonds
•   blueberries
•   cranberries
•   walnuts
•   sweet corn
•   grain sorghum
•   food supplements
•   broccoli
•   prunes

Other products valued at $3 billion will benefit from staged tariff elimination. This group of products includes, for example:
•   wine
•   cheese and whey
•   ethanol
•   frozen poultry
•   processed pork
•   fresh cherries
•   beef offal
•   frozen potatoes
•   oranges
•   egg products
•   tomato paste

The agreement goes into effect in January 2020. 

Source:  USDA September 26, 2019 news release