Japan and China will hold working-level talks Tuesday and Wednesday in Beijing on setting up a consultation panel for "orderly trade" in three farm products, the Japanese farm ministry said Monday.
In bilateral ministerial talks Dec. 21, Tokyo and Beijing agreed to create a trade consultation panel as early as possible to solve a bilateral trade row over stone leeks, shiitake mushrooms and tatami straw, all of which come mostly from China.
With the accord, Tokyo promised not to extend import curbs on the products and China agreed to withdraw 100 percent tariffs on autos and cellular phones.
Under the proposed consultation panel, the governments and private-sector groups from the two countries are to work out "orderly" trade levels for the three products.
Officials from the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, and the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry were to fly to Beijing to discuss the timing of the establishment and the management of the panel.
Negotiations will be held with officials from China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation and the Chamber of Commerce for Importers and Exporters of Foodstuffs, Native Produce and Animal Byproducts, the Japanese officials said.