DENVER — A delegation known as the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF) Heartland Team traveled to Japan last week to see firsthand how US red meat is being promoted in the market. The group was made up of 21 representatives from the beef, pork, corn and soy sectors.

The Heartland Team received market briefings from US Embassy and USMEF staff. While in Japan, they spoke with students at a culinary school, viewed US product displays in retail outlets, visited a beef tongue processing plant as well as a wagyu farm, and sat in on a beef carcass auction at the Tokyo Meat Market.

The United States markets its exports to Japan by emphasizing its high quality products. In fact, since Japan values quality over price, the standard for US pork production is set by the Japanese market, noted USMEF.

“Relative to quality, Japan actually sets the standard in the United States,” said Jesse Heimer, a National Pork Board member from Missouri. “The quality standard at every plant is based on the color expectation that the Japanese customer wants. And believe it or not, our highest quality pork loins — much of our highest quality pork — ends up in this market here in Japan.”

USMEF President and Chief Executive Officer Dan Halstrom believes that’s why it’s important to bring producers to markets like Japan to share how US product is raised.

“We have to continue to tell that story about quality and how we’re different, and I think having producers here in the marketplace, seeing the importance of that — that’s worth the value of the trip itself,” Halstrom said.

Japan is the number three market for US pork exports at 208,121 tonnes, with a value of $846 million through July 2024. It is even more of a leading market for US beef exports, totaling 149,051 tonnes through July at a value of $1.2 billion. It is a key market for exports of variety meats, particularly beef tongue.

“Tongue product is everywhere, right down to tongue flavored pretzels,” said Mark Goes, a cattle producer from the Nebraska Beef Council. “Japan imports a tremendous amount of tongue from the United States, and they have learned to utilize it to where it’s favored over ribeye steak for them. The tongue is a standard and a staple for them here.”