Agriculture potential barrier to closer trade ties with Japan

Prime Minister Helen Clark will push for closer economic ties when she holds talks today with her Japanese counterpart Yasuo Fukuda today.

However New Zealand's competitive farming and food sector could remain a stumbling block for Japan, which retains a raft of subsidies, import quotas and high tariffs on agricultural products.

Miss Clark arrived in Tokyo yesterday on the first leg of a five day trip that also includes a visit to South Korea.

Miss Clark said with global shortages in some food categories and a general rise in prices, closer relations were one way for Japan, which imports over 60 per cent of its food, to secure a supply of high quality products.

Australia had already begun free trade negotiations with Japan and New Zealand could not afford to be left behind.

The obvious next step for the two countries would be a study on the benefits of a free trade agreement, but Japan had so far resisted the idea.

The issue of Japan's whaling in the Southern Ocean and New Zealand's desire to see an end to the country's "scientific" whaling programme would also be discussed.