In many ways, Japan is an ideal market for beef exports. Japanese consumers are consuming more meat, the country has very limited beef production and enjoys income levels necessary to procure beef in the international markets.

But because of the lack of a trade agreement with Japan, the United States appears to be at risk of ceding significant market share to Australia, according to an analysis by economists at the University of Illinois (UI). And that, the economists say, could provide insight into the difficulties that all U.S. ag exports will face in the current period of trade upheaval.

Certainly, Japan continues to...