At the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo last month, beef promoters flew in a chef from Canada to cook New York strip steaks for hungry Japanese importers and restaurant suppliers.
The annual Canadian beef buffet reception attracted 126 people, up sharply from the usual 30 to 40.
A trade deal among Pacific nations — called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership — took effect on Dec. 30 among the first six of 11 member countries to ratify it, including Canada, Japan and Australia.