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Japan's vegetable oil and protein feed markets are mature and stable. While surging commodity prices and the shipping crisis impacted Japan's oilseed and product imports in the past, the situation has normalized.

Production of oilseeds (including canola, soybeans, and sunflower seeds) is forecast to increase only marginally in MY 2025/26 over the previous marketing year, reaching 25.57 million MT.

On September 19, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) announced the exemption of domestic field trial requirements for genetically engineered (GE) soybean with familiar trait.

On Monday, June 24, 2024, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) of the Government of Japan (GOJ) opened a public comment period for its revision for domestic field trial requirements of genetically engineered (GE) crops.

The 2023 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2023 calendar year.

FAS/Ottawa forecasts oilseed crush capacity (the estimated maximum rate of crushing at which a mill can operate continuously while maintaining a proper level of efficiency) reached 12.99 million metric tons (MMT) in March 2024 and will reach 15.14 MMT by the end of the 2025 calendar year, up from 11.23 MMT in 2023.

In relation to persistent rising food prices, Japan has seen a decline in overall vegetable oil consumption. Due to the more favorable crush margin for canola compared to soybeans, FAS/Tokyo forecasts a reduction in soybean imports and crush, while seeing an increase in rapeseed imports and crush for both MY 2023/24 and MY 2024/25.

The 2022 U.S. Agricultural Export Yearbook provides a statistical summary of U.S. agricultural commodity exports to the world during the 2022 calendar year.

In MY 2021/22, the total value of Japan’s soybean imports reached a historical record while rapeseed crush hit the lowest point in 10 years as rapeseed imports from Canada declined.

Dryness persists in scattered growing areas of Alberta and Saskatchewan. However, there is still time for spring precipitation. Meanwhile, most eastern soybean producers await warmer temperatures to dry the heavy-to-adequate snow accumulation.

FY2022 agricultural exports reach record levels.

On October 13, the Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) opened a public comment period for proposed revisions to the genetically engineered (GE) labeling requirements of the Food Labeling Standards.