Negotiations between Australia and Japan begun in April 2007 and have made slow progress since. Australia has specific interest in increased agricultural exports to Japan in the areas of beef, dairy, rice, wheat and sugar. In response to these demands there was widespread opposition from the farming communities, the traditional support base for the Japanese government. The 2007 Upper House electoral defeat for the Japanese government sent a clear signal that Japanese farmers fear the social impacts of free trade agreements.

AFTINET has been working with partner organisations in Japan to campaign against this agreement. This collaboration has led to the publication of a joint statement.

For more information see AFTINET's FTA Briefing, or for a more detailed response view our Submission to the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

To hear more about the situation of rice in Japan, see this short interview with Kazuoku Ohno, an agricultural journalist in Japan.