JAPAN

Tariffs on Pork Imports to Rise 23.67%: The Finance Ministry said the increase will be effective from Wednesday through March 31, 1996. During that period, foreign pork must be sold for no less than $5.61 per kilogram, 23.67% higher than current prices. About a third of all pork consumed in Japan is imported. The U.S. share of that is about 16%, U.S. Meat Export Federation figures say. “It shouldn’t have a big impact on our market share, but it’s obviously something we’re concerned about,” said David Salmon, director of the U.S. government’s agricultural trade office in Tokyo.