Category Archives: Trade Talks

【News】 TPP chief negotiator Amari resigns over money scandal (Jan. 29, 2016)

Economic revitalization minister Akira Amari stepped down from the Cabinet post on Jan. 28, after acknowledging his receipt of 1 million yen in cash from a construction company. The scandal was reported by one of the weekly magazines published in Japan last week. Amari had also been a minister in charge of Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade talks since 2013 when Japan joined the TPP. He led a negotiation team of Japan at a ministerial meeting held in Atlanta last October to reach a broad agreement on the TPP. The TPP chief negotiator’s departure from the Cabinet will inevitably make an adverse impact on deliberations at the Diet which is … Continue reading

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【News】 At Diet session Abe denies possibility of TPP renegotiation (Jan. 28, 2016)

“Even if a renegotiation of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement is demanded in a near future, we will never take a seat at the table,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pledged on Jan. 27 at a plenary session of the Diet. Abe made this reply to a question raised by a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, who was concerned that a TPP member country would urge Japan to make further concession possibly at a TPP renegotiation table so as to facilitate approvals for TPP bills from her congress. Abe had delivered his key policy speech for 2016 on Jan. 22, and he was asked various questions including … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 What challenges are Prime Minister Shinzo Abe really facing? (Jan. 23, 2016)

  “We will resolutely take on challenges, no matter how difficult the issue might be,” Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said during his key policy speech delivered before the Diet, expressing his determination to tackle issues faced by the nation and come up with answers. Giving special focus on the farm sector, Abe stressed the positive economic impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade agreement and pledged to boost new agricultural policies. However, we cannot deny that a large gap exists between Abe’s stance and that of the farming industry. Rather than listening to hopes and dreams without real solutions, farmers are waiting eagerly for a specific roadmap based on hard realities. … Continue reading

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【News】 Restructuring farming materials sector necessary, ruling party’s head of agricultural division says (Jan. 14, 2015)

  Shinjiro Koizumi, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Agriculture and Forestry Division, said Wednesday, Jan. 13, that structural reform in procurement of farming materials is necessary to reduce costs as part of measures to cope with market liberalization under the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement. Koizumi, who was visiting retailers and suppliers of farming materials in Ibaraki Prefecture, suggested merging of fertilizer manufacturing plants to improve productivity. He also pointed to the low ratio of agriculture-related loans by the Norinchukin Bank, saying that he will monitor the situation. The LDP plans to launch a project team headed by Koizumi to start discussing next week issues that remain to be dealt … Continue reading

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【News】 Farm ministry kicks off campaign to explain policies related to TPP (Jan. 8, 2015)

  The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries started a campaign in the city of Kumamoto on Thursday, Jan. 7, to explain the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement, its impact on domestic farm production and the government’s measures to cope with expected changes. Many of some 200 participants at the meeting, mainly officials of farm co-ops and local governments in the Kyushu region and Okinawa Prefecture, voiced concern over the government’s estimate on the impact of the agreement, which predicted that the current volume of domestic agricultural production can be maintained through the government’s support measures even after the agreement takes effect. Some asked for estimates that do not take the government’s … Continue reading

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