The existing U.S.-Japan organic equivalence agreement was expanded to cover livestock products, with the changes taking effect Thursday.
The new agreement will reduce costs and streamline the process for businesses across the organic livestock supply chain, requiring them to secure just one organic certification instead of two for products exported to Japan, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) said.
Technical experts from the U.S. and Japan “conducted thorough on-site audits to ensure that the regulations, quality control measures, certification requirements and labeling practices are compatible” leading up to the agreement, USTR said.
With the updated agreement in place, U.S. organic livestock products may exported to Japan if they secure certification under either Japan Agricultural Standards (JAS) or from USDA. An organic equivalence for plant-based products has been in place between the U.S. and Japan since 2014
Welcome
