Sheep and beef farmers, along with meat processors and exporters, are keen to see the inclusion of Japan in free-trade-agreement negotiations, describing it as an important market for New Zealand meat.
Confirmation of Japan joining the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations was an ''important next step'' in expanding the reach of those negotiations, ensuring the agreement offered significant benefits for those in the Asia-Pacific region, Beef and Lamb New Zealand and the Meat Industry Association said.
Its inclusion rounded off an ''exciting'' group of 12 countries from Asia-Pacific with common interests in improving collective trade opportunities. Together, those countries accounted for a third of global beef production, MIA chairman Bill Falconer said.
''The TPP partners have committed to some ambitious outcomes for market access and the New Zealand red meat industry will not want to see any delay to the goal of completing the TPP deal this year,'' Mr Falconer said.
The negotiations offered new opportunities for all red meat exporting countries through improved market access, the elimination of tariffs and non-tariff barriers, Beef and Lamb chairman Mike Petersen said.
Exports to Japan from the red meat sector last year were $338 million, which incurred about $93 million of tariff payments.
About $76 million of those payments were incurred on New Zealand's substantial beef trade. New Zealand faced a 38.5% tariff rate, increasing to 50% in the event certain volumes were exceeded, Mr Petersen said.
Federated Farmers president Bruce Wills recently returned from Japan and the World Farmers Organisation General-Assembly.
Mr Wills said he and chief executive Conor English did their best to assure Japanese farming leaders free trade would be beneficial to them.
''Clearly, the next few years will be critical to ensure the reality of the TPP lives up to its promise,'' he said.
Tariffs alone on New Zealand's red meat exports were costing each New Zealand sheep and beef farm ''some $19,000'' in lost income each year, he said.
