GAIN Reports from Friday, June 26, 2020

The following Global Agricultural Information Network (GAIN) reports were released on Friday, June 26, 2020.    Italy: Retail Foods This report gives an overview of the Italian food retail and distribution sectors and outlines current market trends, including best product prospects. Italy's food retail sales reached $145 billion in 2019, one percent more than in 2018. The Italian retail food market is highly diversified. Hypermarkets, supermarkets, convenience, discount, and specialized stores coexist with traditional corner shops and open-air markets. Japan: Retail Foods In 2019, the total value of all retail food and beverage (F&B) sales in Japan fell 1.3 percent to ¥52,669 ($483.2 billion). The top category is supermarkets (70 percent of total sales) followed by convenience stores (14 percent). Drug stores and department stores hold a small, but growing, share of F&B sales. Preferential tariff access now exists for many U.S. retail products following the entry into force of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement (USJTA) on January 1, 2020. Following requests for people to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic, retail sales at supermarkets have surged, up 20 to 30 percent for major chains. Morocco: Grain and Feed Update Morocco is facing historically low wheat production due to low rainfall in 2019/20. The Ministry of Agriculture forecasts total wheat and barley production at 3 million metric tons, about 60 percent below Morocco's ten-year production average. In response to low production, the Moroccan government has taken the unprecedented decision to extend its suspension of customs duties on common wheat through December 31, 2020.     For more information, or for an archive of all FAS GAIN reports, please visit gain.fas.usda.gov/.     Update your subscriptions, modify your password or email address, or stop subscriptions at any time on your Subscriber Preferences Page. You will need to use your email address to log in. If you have questions or problems with the subscription service, please visit subscriberhelp.govdelivery.com. This service is provided to you at no charge by USDA Foreign Agricultural Service. This email was sent to stevenmagallanes520.nims@blogger.com using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: USDA Foreign Agricultural Service · 1400 Independence Avenue, SW · Washington, DC 20250