Yuji Yamamoto, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) told the press after the Cabinet meeting on July 16 that he will not accept EU’s demand for Japan’s elimination 0f import tariff on soft-type cheese at the negotiations for a Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) free trade accord, saying “Our response will inevitably take a tough line on the EU’s demand in this respect.
EU’s negotiators have been calling not only for tariff elimination of hard-type cheese that Japan accepted at the past Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deals, but also for that of soft-type cheeses that was rejected at the TPP talks.
Supposing the import barriers for soft-type cheeses are removed, similar cheeses produced in Japan will be badly hit by the imported ones produced in EU member countries since the European soft cheeses have a high reputation among Japanese consumers.
MAFF’s Minister pointed out that the Livestock Industry Management Stabilization Revised Act was very recently enacted at the current session of the Diet in order to promote domestic supplies of various dairy products.
Minister Yamamoto reiterated that it will be impossible for the government to choose an easy way of market opening that will be inconsistent with the purpose of the Revised Act.
“We have to do a good job at the negotiations. Otherwise, we will defeat the purpose of enacting the Livestock Industry Revised Law from its starting point,” MAFF’s Minister told the press.