politics

Japan, Britain to wrap up trade talks soon; cheese last remaining key issue

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Stilton is now poised to conquer the Japanese consumers’ taste buds...

10 ( +11 / -1 )

That's great news lets hope they will export more here, the UK has some great cheese but now it's expensive and hard to get the good stuff.

12 ( +13 / -1 )

Fear of cheese is a stumbling block? Japan needs to man up and cut the cheese.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Seems Japan had the upper hand in the trade deal and the overall deal is in Japan's favor. Britain hasn't much leverage and would take any deal as a good deal.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Blessed are the cheesemakers,for they expand my girth.

9 ( +9 / -0 )

Strange how Britain, despite not being a rice-growing country, offers a larger variety of rice and at far cheaper prices.

Seems Japan had the upper hand in the trade deal and the overall deal is in Japan's favor. Britain hasn't much leverage and would take any deal as a good deal.

Why am I not surprised?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

great cheese but now it's expensive

Don't hold your breath for price cuts.

8 ( +9 / -1 )

Saving the most important thing for last.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

There is not a single member of the family that doesn't recoil at the smell of the variety of smelly blue cheeses I have in the fridge.

In the Japan-EU trade pact that came into force in February 2019, Japan implemented an import quota on soft cheeses, including blue cheese, where tariffs will be reduced in stages to zero by the 16th year.

16 years......

No wonder there is a thriving black market.

Got any "blue", pure Stilton serious fungi, the biznazz......

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Cheese is way overpriced in Japan. Three to five times more than where I come from.

13 ( +14 / -1 )

I am lactose intolerance. Shame but i can never truly appreciate them.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Those who keep playing down Britain's strengths seem to forget that each country has something of worth. In the UK's case, pharmaceuticals, food, financial services...

And in Japan's, technology in particular.

Why so much pessimism?

10 ( +10 / -0 )

Blessed are the cheesemakers,for they expand my girth.

I think Cheeses of Nazareth said that.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

As a veggie, cheese is a delicacy. Should be a staple food, but is about the same price as prime Kobe beef.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

Blue cheese is OK, but I can live without it. Bring on the Cheddar, Lancashire, Caerphilly, White Stilton, Double Gloucester, Red Leicester, Wensleydale!

Invalid CSRF

9 ( +10 / -1 )

Blue cheese is OK, but I can live without it. Bring on the Cheddar, Lancashire, Caerphilly

I agree. Cheddar and lancashire require the utmost care.

6 ( +8 / -2 )

Ken Wyatt, good points.

And may be the reason that the Governments of Japan and UK are a tad apprehensive to lay there cards on the table.

EU is a market that J business would like to take a more active advantage in securing a presence that promotes long term befits for J economy.

On the other hand the UK out of the constraints of a rules based treaty and regulatory framework is very enticing.

Especially for vehicles and government procurement

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I welcome any increase in the amount of decent cheese available in Japan. Most of what is in the shops now is inedible, good cheese is eye wateringly expensive.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

I do not understand why Japan bothers to impose import quotas on blue cheese. It is not like there is a massive domestic blue cheese industry and frankly, I doubt Japanese would like it much. I was surprised to read that 1000 tonnes are imported.

And even for hard cheeses, domestic cheese is of such low quality, that I doubt imported cheese world be of any real competition.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Cheese from Britain ? Sounds like Borat’s cheese to me

Nothing like Borat's cheese. If you remember, that was an British comedian mocking the varieties of third rate American cheese.

Britain is a huge cheese producer and makes many of the world's finest cheeses.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Mmmmmm cheese!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Being a native of Wensleydale I dream of being able to buy some Wensleydale Cheese here, at any price.

WC and fruit cake or apple pie, deeeeeeeeeelicious.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Stilton is as good as it gets.

A shout out for Cheshire cheese too. The best for cheese on toast for me,

1 ( +1 / -0 )

To Lovecrafting:

I really hope your comment was meant to be humorous.

Anyone who has ever been to the U.K. would know we have a considerable range of cheeses, including some VERY unusual ones.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Last but not least, CHEESE

1 ( +1 / -0 )

What blows me away about just about all trade agreements is the disgusting length of time it takes to remove tariffs. Sixteen years? To reduce tariffs on cheese? What's wrong with six months!!!?

2 ( +2 / -0 )

Japan is a cheese lover's purgatory. This deal should improve the availability of good quality cheeses; a welcome development provided the prices are right, which remains to be seen.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Anyone who has ever been to the U.K. would know we have a considerable range of cheeses, including some VERY unusual ones.

The cheese choice in supermarkets can still be relatively disappointing given the wife variety on sale - a throwback to the industrialisation of food that occurred post-war and the preference of supermarkets to have fewer lines that could be produced in bulk.

The same was true of beer brewing that did not begin to recover until the 80s and only properly in the last decade.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Whatever happens, you can bet the Japanese government will still screw over the Japanese consumers.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I'm sorry, but I'm sticking to the tried and true Meiji "Hotel Cheese". No need for all them fancy imports.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Considering how lactose intolerant Asians tend to be I am surprised cheese even matters? Did the Japanese even make cheese before the arrival or Europeans there? I'm not aware of any kind of dairy culture in Asia until quite recently.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

 the wife variety

Oooh, I want to shop there. Do they have little tables with samples? ^_^

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Japanese people used to assure me Japanese don't like cheese.

I would ask them if they had ever eaten cheese, and then they would tell me they had.

"What kind of cheese?"

"Snow brand. It is made for Japanese taste."

"Well, no one likes that, not even foreigners. It doesn't even taste like cheese. It tastes more like plastic or rubber. If it is made for Japanese taste, why don't Japanese like it? Try some foreign cheese. You may like it."

That was a long time ago and things have improved somewhat. That was in the days when Camembert was sold at half price if it smelt, and the full price Camembert was really hard and chalky. Back the I discovered Japanese actually liked a smelly Camembert.

Update to 2020 and Japanese don't like blue cheese, but have only ever eaten the excessively salty stuff from Denmark.

They should try some British blue cheese, Stilton, Shropshire, Cheshire.

Also, when I was last in Britain eight years ago, I discovered Britain now produces some great soft cheese. I would choose a Perl Wen over a Camembert or Brie if I had the choice and the price was not outrageous.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

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