AC (Advantage)
Affirmative Constructive (4 min.)
We stand resolved that the Japanese government should eliminate all tariffs on imported rice.
(1) The Japanese government shall reduce all tariffs on imported rice to zero.
(2) The government shall discontinues the Minimum Access Rice program.
(3) Private firms shall be free to import rice competitively.
(4) The government shall maintain existing agricultural subsidies. This ensures a gradual transition without eliminating domestic support.
We present one advantage: consumer welfare. I will explain this advantage in three steps: A, present situation; B, effects; and C, importance.
The government imposes a tariff of 341 yen per kilogram on imported rice—equivalent to roughly four times the global price. Rice is one of the most essential goods in Japan, yet it is artificially inflated far above its natural market cost. This is not just inefficient—it is harmful.
In 2024 and 2025, Japan experienced a severe rice price crisis. Prices surged dramatically, in some cases doubling compared to earlier years.
Murai, T., & Schnabl, G. (2025, August 19). Japan Rice Price Crisis Reveals a Twofold Policy Dilemma. Mises Wire. https://mises.org/mises-wire/japan-rice-price-crisis-reveals-twofold-policy-dilemma
(Taiki Murai is research assistant at the Institute for Economic Policy of Leipzig University. Gunther Schnabl is a professor of international economics and economic policy in the department of economics at Leipzig University, Germany.)
“The price of table rice in Japan has skyrocketed. As of June 2025, the average wholesale price had reached 27,102 yen per 60 kilograms. That’s 452 yen per kilogram —or roughly $3.12 at the current exchange rate. In retail, the average price of a 5-kilogram bag had surpassed 4,285 yen ($29.50). Compared to 2021, the price of table rice had more than doubled, causing widespread unease among the Japanese public.”
This crisis exposed a structural weakness: imports could not respond effectively because tariffs blocked market adjustment.
Fujibayashi, K. (2026, April 3). High Domestic Rice Prices Drive Record Private Sector Imports in 2025. GAIN (Global Agricultural Information Network). US Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agricultural Service. https://apps.fas.usda.gov/newgainapi/api/Report/DownloadReportByFileName?fileName=High%20Domestic%20Rice%20Prices%20Drive%20Record%20Private%20Sector%20Imports%20in%202025_Tokyo_Japan_JA2026-0015
(Keiko Fujibayashi is an agricultural specialist, employed in Japan by the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).)
“Strong demand for imported rice has driven full use of the 100,000 MT SBS quota under Japan’s WTOTRQ in both 2024 and 2025.1 After this quota was exhausted, the private sector began to import rice out-of-quota. These out-of-quota imports reached 1,015 MT in 2024 and surged to 96,834 MT in 2025, as imported rice became cheaper than domestic rice even after applying the out-of-quota tariff. Monthly out-of-quota rice imports peaked at 26,397 MT in July 2025, then declined before rising again in November 2025 due to its price competitiveness against domestic rice (Chart 2). Imported rice is gaining a foothold in the ready-made meal sector and in restaurants.”
When the tariff is removed, imported rice enters Japan at world prices, increasing supply and intensifying competition.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). (2011, February). Economic and Social Perspectives – Policy Brief No. 13. https://www.fao.org/4/am172e/am172e00.pdf
“Domestic rice prices in developing countries increased by up to 90 percent between the third quarter of 2007and the same quarter in 2008, with a typical year-on-year change of about 30 percent. This sudden increase particularly hurt the poor, who generally consume more rice than they produce, especially where rice is the country’s staple food.”
Lower-income households and elderly citizens spend a larger share of income on food. Even small reductions significantly improve purchasing power. Across millions of households, small daily savings accumulate into large aggregate welfare gains.
Scale. Millions benefit. Rice is purchased repeatedly. Small savings multiplied across population and time produce massive total welfare gains.
Immediacy. Price reductions occur as soon as tariffs are removed—unlike long-term structural policies.
Stability. Our plan introduces flexibility. When domestic supply is disrupted by climate shocks or demand spikes, imports provide an alternative.
FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations). (2025, ). The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2025, Chapter 3 Understanding The 2021–2023 Food Price Inflation Surge: Causes and Consequences for Food Security and Nutrition. https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/de95e011-1af9-4b28-9a07-d8ce61f8aa6c/content/state-food-security-and-nutrition-2025/price-inflation-pressure-nutrition.html#gsc.tab=0
“Thus, high levels of food price inflation can affect food consumption and food security through two mechanisms. The first is an income effect, where higher prices erode households' real incomes restricting their overall food consumption. The second is a substitution effect, where households might readjust their consumption patterns towards relatively cheaper food items (potentially less nutrient-dense and of lower quality). The extent and duration of this income price misalignment varies across countries, but it has weakened the overall stability of food security for many vulnerable populations.”
Conclusion. Millions pay artificially high prices for a basic necessity because of an outdated policy. Our plan removes that burden, improves efficiency, and stabilizes supply. We strongly urge an affirmative ballot.
NC (Disadvantage)