Category Archives: Trade Talks

HAKONE, July 14 — Senior trade officials from the 11 signatories of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) have wrapped up a two-day meeting that ended July 13 in Hakone, a lake resort near Tokyo, producing no progress on how to bring the deal into force without the United States. In May, 11 countries agreed to explore how the TPP deal is being implemented without the U.S. They now aim to reach an agreement in November when their leaders will meet on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. At the Hakone meeting, several countries asked to make changes of the deal, in which they had to … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 15 — Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has outlined government policy principles which include farm support programs to help producers adjust to increased EU agricultural food products entering Japan. The move comes as Tokyo and Brussels reached a political deal on the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) earlier this month. The policy will be elaborated upon in a paper likely to be published in autumn. Chairing the first meeting on July 14 of the new consolidated headquarters that presides over trade policymaking across government agencies, Abe declared: “As a unified team, the government will make comprehensive policy proposals.” The aim of the new headquarters is to facilitate Japan’s … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 12 — The EU has published an overall picture of the trade deal with Japan after a compromise was reached on increased market access for EU farm products in exchange for Japanese autos. By contrast, Tokyo has no plan to disclose its view, with government officials saying “it’s because the draft has yet to be finalized.” Japan’s opposition parties, including the Democratic Party, say they will demand from the government the same level of disclosure as the EU. The European Commission posted on its website a document, titled Key elements of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, dated on July 6, the day of the announcement made by both … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 12 — Following a broad trade accord between Japan and EU, the Japanese government has launched a new consolidated headquarters that presides trade policymaking in a horizontal approach across government agencies. The aim is to facilitate Japan’s early entry into trade agreements, including the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). The first meeting at the new government headquarters was to take place on July 14 to outline countermeasure programs that help farm producers adjust to increased EU agricultural food products entering Japan. Economic Revitalization Minister Nobuteru Ishihara, who is also the minister in charge of the TPP, said at a press conference on July … Continue reading →

TOKYO, July 8 – “We’ve reached political agreement at ministerial level on an EU-Japan trade deal. We now recommend to leaders to confirm this at summit,” European Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom tweeted on July 5 after meeting Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida in Brussels. The negotiations ended all too soon. The meeting between Kishida and Malmstrom, which some speculated would go on until late at night, was finished in an hour or so. The two announced that they reached consensus on the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement and painted eyes on daruma dolls to mark the achievement. All happened before the delegation of Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers arrived in Brussels. Three days … Continue reading →