Japan Press Weekly

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2015 January 14 - 20 [POLITICS]

Public opposition growing in the world against TPP

Mashima Yoshitaka, vice chair of the National Federation of Farmers’ Movement (Nouminren), on January 13 talked about the growing international public opinion against the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement and called on Japanese farmers to work to help lead multilateral talks for the free trade pact to failure.

At the 21st Nouminren National Convention, Mashima reported that the U.S. Obama administration is putting pressure on Japan to expand the quota of rice imports during the bilateral TPP talks, adding that Japan reportedly made concessions to the U.S. regarding tariff reductions on beef, pork, and dairy products.

He criticized the Abe Cabinet for making large concessions despite the government promise to exclude these items from the TPP negotiations.

The Nouminren leader then mentioned a movement in Canada, one of the participating nations in the TPP negotiations. He said that a conflict with U.S. interests has become serious and a move to protect the Canadian dairy farming and chicken meat industries has emerged.

He also touched on the opposition movement growing in the United States, reporting that U.S. protestors criticize the free trade pact for harming domestic employment and lowering wages, and that a majority of congresspersons are now against giving President Barack Obama the negotiating authority for trade agreements.

In contrast, Japan’s Prime Minister Abe Shinzo in an interview for the British “Economist” magazine late last year expressed his determination for “an early conclusion” of the free-trade framework over objections from farmers following the snap general election.

Mashima stressed the importance of increasing the progressive farmers’ movement in Japan to fight off Abe’s intent to proceed with the negotiations.

Past related articles:
> Abe gov’t should withdraw from TPP talks immediately [November 16, 2014]
> Angry voices against TPP increasing in rice-producing area of northeast region [May 13, 2014]
> Not TPP but equality and mutual benefits are necessary [February 27-March1, 2014]