U.S.-Japan Trade Partnership Celebrated at Events in Osaka and Tokyo

The value of a lasting trade relationship was on full display last week as the U.S. red meat industry hosted two major events to honor trade with Japan.

At Expo 2025 in Osaka, an event designed to contribute to Japan's achievement of sustainable development goals, USMEF welcomed Japanese meat importers, U.S. exporters and U.S. government guests to a special reception on Sept. 11. Ambassador William Grayson, Osaka-Kobe Consul General Jason Cubes, and Hiroto Nakagawa from the U.S. Agricultural Trade Office in Osaka joined the celebration. USMEF President and CEO provided an update on U.S. production trends while expressing gratitude for the long-term trade relationship with Japan.

For the Sept. 12 event in Tokyo, nearly 500 from Japan's meat industry, U.S. exporters and the U.S. government attended a seminar and celebration of U.S.-Japan trade. Halstrom provided opening remarks while Jeanne Bailey, minister-counselor for agricultural affairs at the U.S. Embassy, welcomed attendees to the event. USMEF Japan Director Satoshi Kato also provided a Japan market update while USMEF's Tatsuru Kasatani and Taichi Uemura discussed USMEF beef and pork strategies in Japan. Takashi Amaba, chairman of the Agriculture and Livestock Industry Corporation, toasted the group before a tasting session during the reception. A variety of dishes, many from underutilized cuts of U.S. beef and pork, were sampled by attendees.

"In this time of trade uncertainty, it's important to recognize the partners who have been with you through thick and thin. USMEF's first international office was established in Tokyo nearly 50 years ago and Japan has been a major trading partner ever since," says Halstrom. "The two events gave us opportunities to show our customers how much we value our partnership."

The events were made possible through funding by the Beef Checkoff Program, the National Pork Board, Oregon Beef Council, Nebraska Beef Council and USDA's Market Access Program and Regional Agricultural Promotion Program.