Wheat industry groups welcomed Japan’s announcement to end the temporary ban of U.S. white wheat exports.
Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture announced imports resumed Thursday, with the purchase of 58,000 metric tons of U.S. white wheat.
The Ministry had temporarily suspended new purchases following the July announcement by the Department of Agriculture that a small number of wheat plants were found in the U.S. containing unapproved, genetically engineered traits.
The GE wheat resistant to the herbicide glyphosate was found in a fallow field in eastern Washington State.
The U.S. Wheat Associates and the National Association of Wheat Growers applauded the resumed imports by Japan this week.
The groups say the “unexpected situation” caused only a minor disruption in trade because stakeholders “approached it in a reasonable way.”
