Growth of agricultural protection in East Asia

Abstract

Japan is well known for its restrictions on food imports. Less well known is the fact that South Korea and Taiwan are also protective of their agricultural sectors. This protectionism began early this century when all three countries were part of the Japanese Empire, and it has increased rapidly during the 1990s and 1970s. Today, food prices in East Asia average two or three times higher than in international markets, reflecting levels of protection that rival those in Western Europe.