With 14 million metric tons (564.5 million bushels) purchased last year, Japan is easily the largest consumer of U.S. corn and associated co-products. A number of these exports is represented by innovative varieties of biotech corn. However, in order to be accepted into Japan, biotech events must pass through stringent inspection processes both domestically and in Japan. In order to promote greater cohesion between the U.S. and Japanese oversight systems, the U.S. Grains Council recently escorted a team of Japanese biotech experts, inspectors and regulators to review biotech safety and inspection processes in the United States.
Throughout this trip, the team toured U.S. biotech research facilities, met with U.S. government regulators and spoke with U.S. corn farmers. These meetings gave team members an insight into the quality assurance practices used in the United States. Team members also had an opportunity to see biotech research conducted firsthand at BASF and Bayer research laboratories in North Carolina’s Research Triangle.
Most importantly, the Council sought to stress the importance of how the Japanese regulatory framework must work harmoniously with the U.S. production, distribution and export systems to promote an efficient and mutually-beneficial trade relationship. The Council also facilitated meetings with U.S. regulators and farmers to show what is being done to address the unintentional low level presence of unapproved events in commercial corn supplies.
The Council is optimistic that this mission helped Japanese regulators gain a better understanding of the effective biotech safeguards in place in the United States. Tommy Hamamoto, USGC director in Japan, is confident that this visit will improve the ease of trade between the United States and Japan.
“This mission provided an excellent opportunity for the regulators to better understand the rigorous biotech regulations of the U.S. government and how the industry is working to comply with the regulations and voluntarily make efforts on stewardship of the biotech products, including corn, to ensure food, feed and environmental safety,� he said.