Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated definitely at a plenary session of the House of Council on November 25 that he has no intention to meet a demand to be made by the United States that Japan should open a market for U.S. farm products more than the market is to be liberalized under the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade agreement.
With regard to bilateral trade negotiations between Japan and the United States, Shinzo Abe refrained from touching the possibilities. He did not clearly answered a question on what kind of response his administration will make when the U.S. Government proposes to conclude a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between Japan and U.S. in a near future.
U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, who has already declared his intention to withdraw from the TPP, is reportedly growing his interests in negotiations on bilateral trade agreements.
At the November 25 session of the House of Councilors, Prime Minister Abe received a question raised on the basis of farmers’ concerns that the Japanese Government would be forced to make further concessions possibly in FTA negotiations with U.S. and open the local market of farm products much more than the TPP free trade pact.
Shinzo Abe firmly replied to the question, saying, “Even if the U.S. Government asks my administration to negotiate a bilateral free trade agreement, I have no intention to accept the proposal.”
The Prime Minister also emphasized that he does not have any plan to further liberalize the Japanese farm market even though the U.S. Government demands our country to open our farm market.