A delegation from Japan's Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Japan's embassy in Washington visited USA Rice Federation to review rice trade issues. The MAFF visitors are members of the Staple Food Department, the sole legal importer of rice in Japan.

The two sides discussed the completion of the rice tender schedule for Japan's 2010 fiscal year (April 2010-March 2011), the current supply and demand situation for rice in the United States, and the 2011 annual U.S.-Japan Rice Technical Meeting in Tokyo later this year.  MAFF officials regularly visit USA Rice to review Japan's rice import situation.

Japan remains a major importer of U.S.-grown rice. It has purchased 607,106 metric tons (MT), or 89 percent of the country's total purchases, in the fiscal year-to-date, with 292,210 MT purchased from the United States.