Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture purchased $18 million worth of U.S. wheat last week, days after announcing it would not interrupt imports because of the discovery of GMO wheat in a fallow field in Washington State. The Japan Agricultural Times reported the ministry said on July 17 that it had adopted a new inspection method so there was no need to suspend purchases.
In the past, Japan halted purchases following a GMO wheat discovery until testing methods were available to detect the biotech strain. No country has approved sale of genetically engineered wheat. The announcement by Japanese officials coincided with a USDA statement that a test kit for the GMO strains found in Washington would be offered to trading partners. “However, it is unusual to continue importing until you change the method,” said the Agricultural Times, which noted suspension of wheat trade could impede U.S.-Japan trade talks.
Japan is the sixth-largest wheat importer in the world and a leading customer for wheat grown in the U.S. Northwest. In a tender last week, the Ministry of Agriculture bought 114,232 tonnes of food-grade wheat from U.S. exporters, said Reuters. The wheat was worth roughly $18 million based on futures prices in Chicago. South Korea, another top purchaser of U.S. wheat, also did not suspend purchases of food grain following the June discovery.