Hirobumi Senbongi – Singapore
JA-Zenchu head Akira Banzai (third from left) talks with Wally Smith (right), President of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, in Singapore on Monday, Feb. 24.
Akira Banzai, head of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), met Wally Smith, president of the Dairy Farmers of Canada, in Singapore on Monday, Feb. 24, and agreed to work together to fight against the United States’ pressure to open agricultural markets.
Referring to the Trans-Pacific Partnership member countries’ ministerial meeting held in Singapore, Smith told Banzai that countries other than Japan and the U.S. are paying attention to the two nations’ bilateral negotiations on tariffs. His remark reflects Canadian dairy farmers’ hope that Japan will negotiate tenaciously to maintain tariffs on key farm products, as that will make it easier also for Canada to exempt its key agricultural products from tariff cuts.
Banzai said that there were reports which said Japan might make compromises regarding sensitive agricultural items, but that Japanese government officials denied the reports at a meeting to stakeholders held in Singapore. He said the government and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party have promised to keep the tariffs on such products, and requested the Canadian group to call on their government to maintain a similar negotiating stance.
Banzai also met with officials of a Canadian beef producers’ association which is hoping the TPP members will agree on abolishing tariffs so that they can increase beef exports to Japan.
In a separate meeting between Banzai and Don Phillips, trade adviser to the American Sugar Alliance, Phillips criticized the fact that a number of TPP member countries are trying to get on with negotiations on rulemaking in such areas as intellectual property rights after getting a clear picture of the progress made in the negotiations for market access. He said this is not a really good way to proceed with negotiations.
JA-Zenchu vice president Toshiaki Tobita, National Federation of Agricultural Co-operative Associations (JA Zen-noh) Chairman Yoshimi Nakano, National Chamber of Agriculture Chairman Koji Futada and JA-Zenchu executive director Shigeo Fuji also attended the meetings.
(Feb. 25, 2014)