Northern U.S. growers argued the Japanese method for measuring soybean quality has created a non-tariff barrier during a USTR hearing on trade with Japan.
Minnesota Soybean CEO Tom Slunecka testified before the U.S. International Trade Commission Monday, saying Japanese buyers largely procure soybeans from America’s Gulf of Mexico ports due to outdated and misleading technical measurements.
“It states crude protein is the ultimate measure for soybeans. In reality, crude measurements are just that, crude.”
Slunecka and others from the Upper Midwest contend soybeans grown in states like Minnesota and the Dakotas are prized because of their superior amino acid content that benefits chickens, swine, and aquaculture.
