Japan Press Weekly

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2014 November 5 - 11 [ECONOMY]

Diet approves EPA with Australia, a major blow to Japan’s dairy industry

The Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement, Japan’s first free trade pact with the major agricultural products exporting country, was approved on November 7 by the House of Councilors in its plenary session.

The Japanese Communist Party voted against the approval as the EPA will deliver a devastating blow to Japan’s agriculture, especially to the dairy farming industry.

The bilateral pact was signed at the end of July after seven years of negotiations. In contrast, the time for discussions on the approval was limited to only seven hours in the House of Representatives and five hours in the House of Councilors.


Past related articles:
> Acceptance of tariff cut on Australian beef violates Diet resolution [April 8, 2014]
> EPA, FTA will cripple Japan’s family farmers: Shii [July 1, 2010]