Officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) confirmed their assumption on May 17 on how the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade pact will come into effect within a new framework of so-called U.S.-less TPP 11.
MAFF’s officials, attending a meeting held by the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s Headquarters for Implementation of TPP Comprehensive Measures, replied to a question regarding the U.S.-less TPP by saying it will be necessary for Japan to change not only import quarters of dairy products that Japan agreed with all the TPP member countries including the United States, but also conditions for applying safeguard measures or emergency import restrictions of beef and other farm products.
At the meeting, the officials provided diet members of the Liberal Democratic Party with information on some examples of import quarters of butter and milk as well as applications of safeguards for imports of beef and pork, adding “These import quarters and safeguard measures were fixed on the assumption of imports by the U.S. If the U.S.-less TPP 11 free trade deal comes into effect, we will need to make a certain adjustment in some part of the existing agreement.”