TOKYO, Nov. 1 — A Japanese government analysis of the agricultural sections of the Japan-EU free trade agreement has revealed that tariff cuts on sensitive products such as dairy and meat may negatively impact in the long term by increasing EU imports. The analysis suggests that Tokyo will offer Brussels the same level of market openings, as large as the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Once the agreement is fully implemented, Japan will scrap import tariffs on 82 percent of agriculture and food products imported from the EU. All industrial imports will be allowed to enter Japan entirely duty-free. Despite tariff cuts on other agriculture products, rice is excluded from the agreement … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 7 — U.S. President Donald Trump has been calling on Japan to reduce its trade surplus with the United States, blaming his country’s trade deficit on unfair trade deals between the two. Japan’s Prime minister Shinzo Abe met Trump on Nov. 6 in Tokyo, the first destination of the president’s Asia trip, to discuss primarily North Korea and trade. Both have agreed to accelerate engagement on trade through the ongoing Japan-U.S. Economic Dialogue between Deputy Prime Minister Taro Aso and Vice President Mike Pence, Japanese government officials explained. But during the meeting, Trump didn’t ask Abe to launch bilateral trade negotiations with the U.S., they said. Speaking at … Continue reading →