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On December 19, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 2018 General Assembly of Japan’s National Council for Export Promotion of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Processed Foods held in Tokyo.
 
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“I would like to offer some remarks upon the FY2018 General Assembly of Japan’s National Council for Export Promotion of Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Products and Processed Foods.
 
To begin with, I express my heartfelt congratulations to everyone who was awarded today for their distinguished contributions to the promotion of Japanese food overseas. You have my respect for your long-standing and dedicated efforts to promote Japanese food overseas where eating habits are different.
 
This Council was established in 2005 with the purpose of aggressively expanding exports of Japan’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products as well as food products. At that time, exports amounted to approximately 400 billion yen. This figure has now more than doubled and is set to reach 900 billion yen this year, a new record.   
 
Against this backdrop, producing areas across Japan are embarking on a variety of endeavors. An agricultural production corporation in Nagano Prefecture, which produces rice in an upland area for export, contributes to the employment of young people and the prevention of the abandonment of cultivation. I have also heard at a production area of greenhouse melons in Shizuoka Prefecture that its challenge to expand into overseas markets has given pride and confidence to the young people succeeding the business.  
 
The TPP11 Agreement (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) will enter into force at the end of this year, and the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and the EU (European Union) has already been approved by the Diet. These agreements will further increase opportunities to expand exports of delicious and safe products made in Japan, such as beef, green tea, fishery products. We are steadily working on the easing and elimination of overseas regulations that are acting as a barrier to Japanese exports. I myself have seized a range of opportunities, such as summit meetings, to call on countries to ease or eliminate such regulations. This year, the four prefectures of Northern Kanto have been allowed to export fruits and other products by Hong Kong, the top export destination of Japan’s agricultural, forestry and fishery products and foods. The regulations on rice export from Niigata has been also lifted by China.  
 
Going forward, let us achieve our 1 trillion yen export target by next year, with Minister Yoshikawa and everyone attending today’s General Assembly working together, and further increase exports. The Abe Cabinet will continue to fully support everyone engaged in exports. In closing, I would like to conclude my remarks by wishing everyone here further success and the further development of Japan’s regions through increased exports of Japan’s delicious and safe agricultural, forestry and fishery products to other countries. Congratulations on your awards today.”