Japanese official: Rollins cancels trip due to shutdown 

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins canceled a trip to Japan due to the U.S. government shutdown, according to farm minister Shinjiro Koizumi, The Japan Times reported today. 

Koizumi said he had been set to meet with Rollins on Thursday night.

“It is regrettable that the planned visit to Japan did not take place, but I believe it goes without saying that Japan and the United States will continue to engage in discussions on food security whenever the opportunity arises,” Koizumi told reporters Wednesday.

President Trump recently announced an agreement with Japan that is supposed to increase U.S. agricultural imports to that country. 

In March, Rollins announced that she would visit six international markets to promote U.S. agricultural exports, but so far she has visited only two — the United Kingdom, which she has visited twice, and Italy. 

In the March announcement, Rollins said she would also visit Japan, India, Brazil,  Vietnam and Peru. Her initial list did not include Italy.