Monthly Archives: August 2013

【Editorial】 TPP talks in a crucial phase – government should disclose information and present clear negotiation policies (Aug. 31, 2013)

Posted on 2013-08-31 by The Japan Agricultural News

  The Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks have entered its crucial phase, as negotiators seek to come to agreement by the end of this year. In the 19th round of TPP talks which ended in Brunei on Friday, August 30, the 12 participating countries issued a joint statement to reaffirm their commitment to speed up negotiations. The talks again gave the impression that they are a hasty, secretive rule-making process led by the United States. The Brunei talks were the first round of negotiations which Japan has participated fully, and the Japanese government is facing a difficult task as a latecomer to make a political decision on sensitive matters in a … Continue reading →

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【News】 TPP participants say Japan’s tariff cut offers are insufficient (Aug. 30, 2013)

Posted on 2013-08-30 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Takanori Okabe – Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam Many of the countries involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations said Japan’s list of tariff cut offers is insufficient and called for further market-opening measures, sources said Thursday, August 29. In the current round of TPP negotiations which started in Brunei on Thursday, August 22, Japan has by Wednesday, August 28, held one-on-one sessions with nine member countries concerning issues of market access including tariffs. Japanese negotiators reportedly presented their first batch of proposals to lower or eliminate tariffs on around 80 percent of total traded items within a certain time period, but did not include the five key agricultural products … Continue reading →

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【News】 Actors and playwrights express opposition to TPP talks, urging the government to disclose information on negotiations concerning intellectual property rights (Aug. 22, 2013)

Posted on 2013-08-22 by The Japan Agricultural News

  The Japan Playwrights Association, the Japan Theatrical Producers Association and the Japan Theatre Arts Association has jointly issued an appeal, opposing the Japanese government’s participation in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks. Referring to the TPP initiative in which the next round of negotiations is scheduled to start in Brunei on Thursday, August 22, the appeal expressed strong concern that controversial issues on intellectual property rights are negotiated without any public debating beforehand in Japan. It asked the government to hold open debate sessions for the public and parties concerned to discuss the issue of extending copyright protection from 50 years to 70 years. It also demanded that the clause … Continue reading →

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【News】 Chief cabinet secretary expresses determination to protect key agricultural products in TPP talks (Aug. 21, 2013)

Posted on 2013-08-21 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Protecting five key agricultural products from tariff elimination is the Japanese government’s fundamental policy regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Tuesday, August 20. In a meeting at the prime minister’s office with Yoshikazu Shimura, head of the agricultural cooperative group in Kanagawa Prefecture, Suga said the government will not allow tariff cuts without exceptions, adding that it will make the utmost effort to exempt the key products – rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products and sugar – from tariff elimination. As the TPP participants are scheduled to hold a new round of negotiations in Brunei starting on Thursday, August 22, Shimura asked … Continue reading →

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【News】 Chances for domestically produced frozen vegetables increase amid signs of price rise in imports (Aug. 19, 2013)

Posted on 2013-08-19 by The Japan Agricultural News

  Hirobumi Senbongi Japanese producers of frozen vegetables are seeking ways to increase their market share, as rising labor costs in China – the main supplier of frozen vegetables – and the weaker yen are leading to strengthen price competitiveness of domestic products. In order to help stabilize farmers’ incomes, officials of Japanese agricultural cooperatives which produce frozen vegetables say they are looking to increase production if their products, which they say are higher in quality than imported products, prove to be more competitive in the market. According to the Japan Frozen Food Association, consumption of frozen food in 2012 marked a record high of 2.7 million tons in terms … Continue reading →

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