Governor met with Japanese Ambassador Sugiyama last year at U.S.-Japan Association conference
BISMARCK, N.D. (OCT. 7, 2019) – Gov. Doug Burgum today will join President Donald Trump, U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Japanese Ambassador Shinsuke Sugiyama, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and others for the signing of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement. The signing will take place at 2:30 p.m. CT at the White House.
The trade agreement will eliminate or reduce tariffs on an additional $7.2 billion of U.S. food and agricultural products. More than 90 percent of U.S. food and agricultural imports into Japan will either be duty-free or receive preferential tariff access once the agreement is implemented, giving U.S. farmers and ranchers the same advantage as other Trans-Pacific Partnership countries selling to the Japanese market.
In September 2018, Burgum met with Sugiyama and other Japanese leaders at the Midwest U.S.-Japan Association’s 50th annual conference in Omaha, which promotes trade and cooperation between the two countries. At the conference, Burgum met with leaders from multiple areas of the Japanese government, including Sugiyama and prefecture governors, along with several industry leaders, highlighting trade opportunities and areas for investment in North Dakota. Last year marked the first year of North Dakota’s involvement in the association.