The rice is later sold by the Food Agency to domestic wholesalers at a mark-up linked to the differential between Japanese and international prices. The rice import regime was one of the most politically sensitive issues in Japan in the overall context of WTO, at the time of the Uruguay Round negotiations. Many parliamentarians and agricultural producers were strongly opposed to the tariffication of Japanese rice imports. To demonstrate, the Japanese Diet passed a resolution three times requiring the Government not to liberalize Japan's rice market. Consequently, the Government had to undertake very difficult negotiations.
Foreign growers can export unlimited amounts of rice to Japan.
However, Japan is going to impose a tariff on the amounts exceed the minimum access level. What is most important to know is that minimum access will not change. Now imports are totally limited to numerical levels with no guaranteed right to exceed minimum access. Nobody can buy beyond minimum access. After the change, Japan still guarantees minimum access for rice imports.