TOKYO, Feb. 22 — A group of Japanese MPs have reaffirmed their opposition to the government renegotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) with the United States.
The MPs from the governing Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) who formed a group to protect the nation’s interests in the TPP held a meeting on Feb. 21.
“TPP was a result of long and complex negotiations,” said Taku Eto, who chaired the meeting. “After simply dumping it, how could they (the U.S.) come back to unravel the whole process?”
The move came as U.S. President Donald Trump said in January that he might consider rejoining the trade pact, if he could get a “better deal” for his country.
And the following month, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin reportedly said the Trump administration “is actively discussing” the possibility of rejoining the TPP, on condition that the U.S. renegotiate it to secure better terms.
During Japan’s lower house budget committee on Jan. 29, when asked about the possibility of renegotiating the TPP to bring the U.S. back in, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: “That is not in my mind, at this point.”
Japan, which has lobbied hard for the new TPP with the remaining 10 members, still believes that the partnership, as it stands, is a good deal for the U.S.
In January, the remaining members agreed that 22 provisions in the original TPP will be put on ice, until the U.S. returns to the pact. They will sign a revised pact on March 8 in Chile.