Farm minister Tadamori Oshima on Thursday rejected a WTO panel chief's proposal that would cut import tariffs on farm produce by up to 45 percent.

Oshima told a hurriedly convened news conference that Japan cannot accept the proposal by Stuart Harbinson, chairman of the World Trade Organization's agricultural negotiations committee, to cut import duties on farm produce by between 25 percent and 45 percent, depending on the current rates of tariffs.

Japan, a net importer of food, uses high tariffs on some agricultural products to protect farmers, who form a strong voting base for the dominant Liberal Democratic Party.