This week, ASA and 74 other groups representing a wide range of agricultural operations in a letter to President Barack Obama expressing support for the entry of Japan into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, and urging the U.S. and other members of the TPP to welcome Japan as a full member as quickly as possible.

"The addition of Japan to the negotiations will exponentially increase the importance of the TPP to U.S. farmers and ranchers, processors and exporters as well as other sectors of the U.S. economy," wrote the groups in the letter. "Furthermore, it will spur interest in the TPP among other countries in Asia and Latin America. Finally, it will send a strong signal to other nations that efforts to negotiate more open and transparent regional trading arrangements will continue, even as multilateral efforts to do so are stymied.

The letter noted the potential within the Japanese market, pointing out the country’s economy is second only to China’s in the region, and it is the United States’ fourth largest agricultural export market overall, despite maintaining substantial import barriers.

"Our food and agricultural exports to Japan in 2012 totaled $13.5 billion," added the groups. "Aside from Canada and Mexico, the next most important agricultural export market among the parties to the TPP is Vietnam, ranking 16th overall and totaling $1.7 billion. Thus, Japan’s entry into the TPP as a full partner greatly enhances the overall value of this momentous regional free trade agreement."