Satoko Adachi  – Geneva The stand-off between industrialized nations and developing countries remained in the agricultural negotiations for the Doha Round of the talks under the World Trade Organization, as the members discussed the issue of cutting farm subsidies in their meeting held in Geneva on Wednesday, July 22. The United States and China refused to make concessions, despite common understanding among the members on the need to seek compromise in reducing the subsidies first in order to proceed with negotiations on other issues including tariff cuts on farm products and abolishing export subsidies. Negotiators at the meeting focused on two proposals regarding reduction of farm subsidies. One proposal … Continue reading →

  Taku Eto, head of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s group of lawmakers against the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade talks, urged Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday, July 23, to exempt key farm products from tax elimination in line with the Diet resolutions and negotiate with a determination to withdraw from the talks if the pledge cannot be kept. After meeting with Abe, Eto told reporters that he believes the prime minister took the request seriously. In the meeting, Eto presented major points of the group’s resolution along with the members’ concerns over the early conclusion of the talks. Eto said he told Abe that the TPP talks have not caused … Continue reading →