Agricultural exports are critical to the economic health of the United States, particularly rural communities. In addition to providing an important revenue source for American farms and ranches, the economic activity created through agricultural exports translates into jobs in countless related industries such as food processing, transportation, logistics, and finance. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, in 2007 total U.S. agricultural exports generated over 800,000 full time jobs in the United States. Last year U.S. agricultural exports to Japan were valued at $14.8 billion, making Japan the United States’ third-largest agricultural export market, and U.S.’s largest overseas market for feed grains, pork, and wheat. The agricultural trading relationship that has developed over the last half-century between the United States and Japan evolved from a business relationship to what is essentially a partnership. This partnership has created food security and economic prosperity for both countries, and is an outstanding example to the rest of the world of the mutual benefits of agricultural trade.