Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (MAFF) informed USDA that U.S. chipping potatoes will be allowed to enter their market year-round, starting February 14, 2020. Previously, the import protocol for U.S. chipping potatoes only allowed access from February 1 to July 30 each year.

“NPC and the entire U.S. potato industry appreciates the diligent work of USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) staff to secure this increased access,” said NPC (National Potato Council) Vice President of Trade Affairs, Jared Balcom. “Year-round access for U.S. fresh chip-stock potatoes will deepen our relationship with our number one trading partner and support the continued growth of the U.S. potato industry.”

According to the NPC, Japan is the U.S. potato industry’s largest export market, with exports totaling over USD350m in the past year. In 2019, the U.S. exported 32,240 metric tons of fresh chipping potatoes, valued at more than USD15m, to Japan. The announcement clarifies that the following states have been approved to ship fresh potatoes for processing to Japan: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin.