Monthly Archives: April 2013

【Editorial】 USTR notification to Congress on TPP – Japan should walk away from TPP if key products cannot be protected (April 27, 2013)

  Office of the United States Trade Representative notified Congress of its intent to allow Japan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks. USTR, however, emphasized the point that Japan promised it will subject all goods – including agricultural products — to negotiation. There is no guarantee at all on whether Japan can protect key agricultural products from tariff elimination. The U.S. also demanded that Japan address non-tariff measures such as food safety regulations in parallel with the TPP negotiations. The Japanese government should withdraw from the negotiations if it cannot protect the Japanese people’s lives and the rural community. In its notification letter to Congress, USTR stressed that Japan … Continue reading

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【News】 USTR notifies Congress of its intent to include Japan in TPP (April 26, 2013)

  Takanori Okabe The United States government notified Congress on Wednesday, April 24 (Thursday, April 25 Japan time), of its intent to allow Japan to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks. Wendy Cutler, Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Japan, Korea and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Affairs, indicated the same day at a meeting with a group of Japanese anti-TPP lawmakers visiting the U.S. that the U.S. government does not intend to accept exemption of certain products from tariff elimination. Japan is expected to join the TPP negotiations in July, but under the present circumstances, there is no guarantee at all that Japan can protect the key agricultural products which the Diet … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 Japan-U.S. talks on 9 items – danger of it becoming a virtual free trade agreement (April 25, 2013)

  Japan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks is going to come true in July. With the backing of approval by 11 Pacific Rim nations involved in the talks, the United States government was expected to seek congressional approval for the country to formally allow Japan in to the talks. As the Japanese government rushed to receive consent from the TPP participants for Japan to join the talks, it has made significant concessions in the preparatory negotiations. It was also asked by the U.S. to improve non-tariff measures in line with the TPP negotiations. This practically means negotiations will become like those for a bilateral free trade agreement. This … Continue reading

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【Editorial】 The government should take Diet resolution on TPP seriously (April 19, 2013)

  The Upper House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries made a resolution concerning Japan’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, saying that the government should withdraw from the TPP negotiations if the national interests are not protected. The Lower House Committee on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is expected to make a similar resolution. It is the Diet’s manifestation of strong concerns over the TPP negotiations, which it says could give a serious damage not only on the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector but on people’s lives as a whole. The resolution of the Diet, the supreme authority of state power, is of great significance, and the government should … Continue reading

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【News】 The Upper House gives nod to TPP – but asks for withdrawal if exclusions of key products from tariff eliminations cannot be obtained (April 19, 2013)

  The Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Committee of the Upper House adopted a resolution by a majority Thursday, April 18, approving the Japanese government’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks. The resolution calls on the government to negotiate for exceptions – especially in the key areas of rice, wheat, beef, pork, dairy products and sugar – from tariff eliminations in the TPP discussions. It also asks the government to walk away from the negotiating table if it fails to persuade other TPP members to allow existing tariffs on the key products. The Lower House Committee for the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries also decided the same day to adopt a … Continue reading

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