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State Leaders, Pork Producers Thank Japan’s Nippon Foods for Purchasing from Nebraska
LINCOLN, NE – Governor Jim Pillen and Nebraska’s trade delegation held a dinner in Tokyo, Japan on Saturday with leaders from Nippon Foods and Tyson Foods. During the meal, Gov. Pillen thanked Nippon Foods for being a loyal customer of Nebraska agricultural products. The dinner also provided an opportunity for Nebraska pig farmers and ranchers to tell the story of their innovative production practices. By harnessing advanced technologies, the Nebraska livestock industry is continually producing more high-quality proteins while using less land, water, and energy.
Founded in 1942, Nippon Foods, commonly known as Nippon Ham, is a major importer of pork into Japan. The company retails ham and sausage products. Several Nippon Ham products, such as their pork sausage links and chilled pizzas, have top market share in their respective categories. Their success as a company is so great that they sponsor a Japanese major league baseball team, the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters. All-star ballplayer Shohei Ohtani, of the Los Angeles Dodgers, played for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters from 2013 to 2017 before coming to play in the United States.
Nebraska Pork Gains Market Share in Japan as California’s Farmer-Unfriendly Policies Take Effect
In 2018, the State of California passed Proposition 12, a ballot initiative that required pig farmers to comply with restrictive animal agriculture practices to be able to sell pork in the state. Pork producers in California had little choice but to incur significant costs—and raise prices—to meet the stringent demands of Proposition 12. As a result, pork is more expensive to produce in California than in many other parts of the U.S.
Nebraska has taken full advantage of the opportunity to provide international customers, such as Japan, with an affordable alternative to pork produced in California. From 2023 to 2024, California’s pork exports to Japan decreased by $39 million, while Nebraska’s pork exports to Japan increased by $26 million. Nippon Foods is an example of a major Japanese importer of U.S. pork that has decided to buy from Nebraska (Tyson Foods in Madison) rather than sourcing its pork from California.
In 2024, Nebraska exported more than $177 million of pork to Japan, ranking second among U.S. states. Nebraska exports more pork to Japan than to any other country. Last year, 41% of the state’s pork exports went to Japan.
Beef on the Menu: Nebraska Trade Mission to Thank Another Key Protein Buyer
On Tuesday, the state’s delegation will hold a luncheon with Nippon Steel Trading, which imports Nebraska beef and pork through its foodstuffs division. The meeting take place at Sizzler, a restaurant that began featuring Nebraska bone-in ribeye on its menu earlier this year. The lunch will be an opportunity for Nebraska’s leaders to show appreciation to Nippon Steel Trading for being a dedicated customer at a time when the price of beef has risen, in part due to the weakness of the Japanese yen compared to the U.S. dollar.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture’s Global Agricultural Trade System, Nebraska exported a record cash value of beef in 2024, surpassing $2 billion for the first time. This included $397 million of beef exports to Japan. Nearly 20% of Nebraska’s beef exports in 2024 went to Japan, which is the state’s second-largest international market for beef.
Meetings Present Opportunities for Exchange and Trade
The early leg of the Governor’s trade mission has included other key meetings, including a joint executive meeting involving governors from the U.S. and Japan on Sunday. This exchange presented an opportunity for government and association leadership to connect and exchange information.
Gov. Pillen, Director Sherry Vinton of the Nebraska Department of Agriculture and Cobus Block, Director of International and Business Recruitment for the Department of Economic Development also took part in a table discussion with representatives of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO). It is a government-related organization that works to promote mutual trade and investment between Japan and other countries.
Joint executive meeting with governors from the U.S. & Japan
JETRO meeting with Gov. Pillen, Sherry Vinton and Cobus Block
Gov. Pillen & Norihiko Ishiguro, Chairman & CEO, JETRO
Nebraska delegation in Japan
