Japan is the fourth largest market for U.S. exporters of food and agricultural products. The total Japanese food and beverage market was valued at an estimated $779 billion in 2018, with the retail sector accounting for $479 billion and the food service sector accounting for $300 billion. The United States exported $12.9 billion in agricultural products to Japan in that year. There are tremendous opportunities for U.S. exporters willing and able to follow the strict Japanese product regulations and keep up with the latest trends in this market. Under the U.S. – Japan Free Trade Agreement (effective January 1, 2020) nearly 90 percent of U.S. food and agricultural imports into Japan are either duty free or receive preferential tariff access.