United States and Japan expand organic trade opportunities

The United States and Japan added alcoholic beverages to the list of products that may be traded under the U.S.-Japan organic equivalence arrangement. This means that alcoholic beverages certified under the USDA organic standards or the Japanese Agricultural Standard for organic products, and that comply with the terms of the arrangement, can be sold in the other country’s market without an additional certification.

Adding alcoholic beverages to the U.S.-Japan arrangement maintains and expands access to the Japanese market for USDA-certified producers. The arrangement also supports a level playing field by ensuring that U.S. and Japanese alcohol producers follow equivalent requirements for production, processing, ingredients and labeling.

Organic equivalence arrangements help American farms and businesses by streamlining certification and compliance, reducing costs, and providing access to important foreign markets.

Besides Japan, the United States currently maintains organic equivalence arrangements with Canada, the European Union, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.