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TOFU TACO isn't nice about rice and Japan [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2025-06-30
In a sort of carrying coal to Newcastle story, Donald Trump wants Japan to buy more American rice. For some reason, he thinks they aren't buying any.
Japan Imports nearly 380,000 metric tons of rice every year from the United States. That's a lot of rice. And he's complaining? Above the quota, Japan charges a tarriff of 241¥, or about $2.30 a kilo.
It's complicated, but there is a rice shortage crisis brought about by a really bad 2023 growing year, increased tourism, panic buying and stockpiling due to earthquake warnings in 2024, and a complex supply chain and distribution system. Rice prices have doubled, the government has released reserve rice, just like we've got the Strategic Oil Reserve, retailers are struggling, and people are opting for cheaper imported rice varieties.
At the same time, the government of Japan wants to protect their farmers but are dealing with an aging farmer population that produces their rice.
The majority political party, the Liberal Democratic Party, doesn't want U.S. quota rates raised. Nearly every Japanese farmer is part of the Japan Agricultural Cooperatives, an association started by the government, but lobbies for the farmers. Political analysts say that if the government will fall if the LDP touches the complex rice industry.
In marches Donald Trump with his demands. Yes, it is a high tariff on rice, but they are already buying 380,000 metric tons. Can't we find another market to sell into that isn't so delicate? China Imports 5 million tons of rice a year. It only imported 107,000 tons of US rice in 2022. That's the market where US rice could easily go.
"To show how spoiled Countries have become with respect to the United States of America, and I have great respect for Japan, they won't take our RICE..."
No, Donald, they don't want to have to take more rice. You are a spoiled brat. Whining every time you don't get your way. They want to protect their industry, just as you're protecting the US steel and a aluminum industry.
"... and yet they have a massive rice shortage."
Read the articles I did to understand why. Oh, that's right, you hate to read or don't know how. Have somebody read them to you like a bedtime story.
"... we'll just be sending them a letter, and we love having them as a Trading Partner for many years to come."
Omigod, he's serious. He's going to send them a letter to tell Japan what their new tariff rate is. Trump talked many times about this yesterday in his interview with Maria Bartiromo. He's sending 200 countries letters telling them what the tariffs are on their products. That's it. That's the trade deal. He's just too damn lazy to do the real work, or Lutnick whined about how it would take too much time out of his propaganda praising of Trump.
To understand how to do a trade deal, you have to understand the other side. You have to walk a mile in their shoes. You have to be fair. Trump doesn't work that way. We finally see what Trump's art of the deal is. Make demands from a supposed superior position and expect compliance.
He may not even send the letter. Too much work. He'll just tell them to read his Truth Social posts to keep up.
Sony Pictures should do a real expose movie on Donald from cheating at school to being groomed as Krasnov to the Russians getting him elected in 2016, trying in 2020 and succeeding again in 2024. Throw in E. Jean Carroll and Stormy Daniels for good measure. Use the Steele Dossier, too, and corroborate more stuff.
Then, maybe Trump would lay off Japan. Be nice with the rice.
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