Category Archives: Trade Talks

TOKYO, Nov. 2 ― Japan’s farmers as well as the opposition lawmakers have increasingly raised their voices to review a safeguard mechanism for beef imports as well as reduce tariff rate quotas for dairy products, as the U.S. return to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is unlikely to happen. The original TPP represented a mixture of economic and political benefits. But without the U.S., it is not convincing Japanese farmers and opposition lawmakers that the deal aims to influence China. This necessitates some serious consideration of its costs, they say. More specifically, they are calling for cutting back new tariff rate quotas (TRQ) for the TPP to be reduced by the … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Oct. 25 ― Japan’s senior lawmaker has lashed out at the government for not immediately responding to a comment by a top U.S. official to ask for greater agriculture market access than Tokyo had given in other free trade deals, including the Trade-Pacific Partnership (TPP). “The Japanese government should vehemently protest such a comment,” Saito Ken, a former Japanese agriculture minister, told the government officials who briefed him on a new trade talks with the U.S. at an Oct. 24 meeting. Following Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s latest cabinet reshuffle, Saito became director general for the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)’s internal task force for trade deals, including the … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Oct. 25 ― Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has reiterated that a new trade negotiation with the U.S. will not ask for greater agricultural market access than Tokyo had given in other free trade deals, including the Trade-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Abe delivered his policy speech at the outset of an extraordinary session of the parliament that started on Oct. 24. This is the first session since Abe’s reelection for a third term as leader of the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and his cabinet reshuffle. As Japan and the U.S. are set to kick off the negotiation for a trade agreement on goods (TAG) as early as January next … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Nov. 1 ― The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States, also known as TPP-11, will come into force on Dec. 30 this year as Australia has become the sixth country to ratify the agreement, joining Japan, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. The entry into force “will send a strong message that the new trade rules of the 21th century, which area freer and fair, will be established and will spread to the world,” Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said at an Oct. 31 press conference. Australia’s ratification came within a day of the November 1 deadline. It was crucial because the TPP-11 agreement takes effect 60 days … Continue reading →

TOKYO, Oct. 20 ― Japan’s Economy Minister Toshimitsu Motegi has said the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) without the United States, also known as TPP-11, will likely come into force in earlier January 2019. “The TPP-11 should take effect in earlier January next year,” Motegi said at an Oct. 19 press conference, pointing out the TPP-11 legislation passed through the Australian parliament on Oct. 18 and New Zealand’s parliament will soon pass its legislation. “I hope that we could well see other signatories in a position to follow Australia and New Zealand over the coming weeks and months,” he added. The TPP-11 had been signed by Japan, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, … Continue reading →