Category Archives: Trade Talks

The 45th President of the United States Donald Trump, 70, made an official announcement that his administration ends U.S.’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), immediately after he took office on January 20. The TPP free trade pack will not come into effect if the U.S. is not a part of it. U.S.’s withdrawal from the Partnership has made it decisive for the TPP to be getting further adrift during years to come. U.S. President Trump delivered an inaugural address, repeatedly promising “America first.” The presidential inauguration speech served to signal that Trump will begin fulfilling his campaign promises such as a protective trade policy. It becomes more of a … Continue reading →

Stakeholders of the Japanese forest industry including local wood manufacturers are growing their concerns about negotiations between Japan and the European Union (EU) on their Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Japan has been importing lots of lumber and laminated wood products from member countries of EU. If the Japanese government agrees on elimination of import tariffs on the wood products as did for the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, an increase in imports of EU’s wood products will place a heavy stress on domestic related industries by reducing demands for local products. Negotiators of the Japanese government will supposedly make a concession to their counterparts of EU on trade liberalization at … Continue reading →

The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Diet Members’ Caucus for Measures for Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, chaired by Hiroshi Okada, member of the House of Representatives, held the first general meeting in Tokyo on January 16. “The Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement or EPA must be made so that the Agreement will not adversely affect agricultural, forestry and fishery industries in Japan. We need to fully give assurance to our producers that they will be able to continue their reproduction,” Koya Nishikawa, Chairman of LDP’s Research Commission on Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries and Food Strategy, said at the general meeting. A number of Diet members attending the meeting made statements one after another, … Continue reading →

Japan and the European Union (EU) gave up seeking a broad agreement on a bilateral Economic Partnership Agreement or EPA. At a press conference held in Tokyo on December 17, EU chief negotiator Mauro Petriccione said that there remains distance on some issues in farm and automobile free trade deals, which need to be bridged between EU and Japan. Chief negotiator Petriccione emphasized, however, that both sides agreed to resume their talks at the beginning of next year, setting early 2017 as a new deadline for a broad agreement on the EPA free trade negotiations. The European Union has been calling for Japan to cut tariffs on farm products such … Continue reading →