Category Archives: Trade Talks

【News】Ruling party’s Diet members warns governmental officials not to sacrifice agriculture for better automobiles access to EU market (June 17, 2017)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held a meeting of the “Headquarters for Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)” on June 16, chaired by Koya Nishikawa, one of the LDP’s key leaders for agricultural and trade policies. A number of LDP’s Diet members attending the meeting shared a common comment that the field of agriculture must not be sacrificed by that of industry at the ongoing trade negotiations between Japan and the European Union. Regarding a controversial agenda of automobile, the Japan-EU talk is deadlocked since Japan has been calling for elimination of EU’s current tariff of 10 percent on Japanese passenger cars as early as possible. Meanwhile, Japan is … Continue reading

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【News】Representative of Japanese agricultural cooperatives urges ruling party to keep boarder measures in Japan-EU EPA negotiations (June 16, 2017)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) invited representatives of farmers’ organizations on July 15 at a meeting of a group of agriculture, forestry and fishery set up in LDP’s Headquarters for Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) to ask for their views about ongoing EPA free trade negotiations. Choe Okuno, president of JA ZENCHU (Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives), an apex body of agricultural cooperatives in Japan, called for protection of domestic agriculture through boarder measures including tariffs so as to enable Japanese farmers to continuously produce major commodities. LDP’s Diet members attending the meeting expressed their views supporting Choe Okuno one after another by urging that a Japan-EU EPA … Continue reading

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【News】JA group presses for keeping farm tariffs amid JP-EU talks(June 15, 2017)

Japan’s most powerful farm group is redoubling efforts to lobby the government as well as the governing Liberal Democratic Party to carve out certain sensitive products from market access commitments. The move comes as Japanese and European leaders are seeking to push through a free trade deal in Brussels early next month. The Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives, known as Zenchu, is insisting that any deal between Japan and the EU must maintain tariffs and border measures for agricultural products that are import-sensitive, such as pork and dairy. At the same time, Zenchu is urging the government to inform of any developments in the ongoing negotiations. It says a lack … Continue reading

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【News】Prime Minister Abe instructs agriculture minister on farmers(June 14, 2017)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has instructed Agriculture Minister Yuji Yamamoto to initiate measures to help farmers adjust to new competition from agricultural imports. His move comes as Japan and the EU are gearing up to seal a free trade deal early next month. Speaking at a regular press conference on June 13, Yamamoto told reporters that he had replied to Abe that he will fulfill his duty to protect farmers, but he declined to discuss the ongoing negotiations. Many experts believe it is an indication that Tokyo is now ready to swallow a bitter trade pill, raising alarms among Japanese farmers that it could impact them.

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【News】Ruling party’s Headquarters to work out basic policy for Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (June 10, 2017)

The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) held the first meeting of a headquarters named “Headquarters for Japan EU Economic Partnership Agreement” on June 9, which has been newly set up to cope with ongoing negotiations between Japan and the European Union, while the Japanese government is aiming at a broad agreement with EU in early July. The Headquarters plans to establish LDP’s policy on measures to be taken for possible results of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) talks with EU. The LDP’s policy, including countermeasures against negative impacts on domestic agriculture, is to be proposed to the government by the end of June. Within the Headquarters, five groups of LDP’ … Continue reading

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