Japan Press Weekly

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2016 November 2 - 8 [POLITICS]

TPP allows no option to buy safe cosmetic products

Akahata ‘current’ column

When purchasing cosmetic products, it is normal for people, mainly women, to choose products which do not use chemicals harmful to the human body. However, what is surprising is that if the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement comes into effect, cosmetics using harmful chemicals will most likely enter the market.

What is the TPP? It is a trade framework which enables large corporations to conduct business in TPP participating countries without restraint by eliminating tariff and non-tariff barriers imposed to protect domestic industries and people’s livelihoods. How does the TPP affect beauty-products?

Under the TPP framework, organic make-up products made with domestic/natural ingredients will probably be regarded as a non-tariff barrier and removed from the market. Such a trade agreement will no doubt affect people’s health and safety.

Even before going into effect, the TPP is already asserting its influence in Japan. The mini-car tax increased to 10,800 yen in April 2015 from the previous 7,200 yen. As the reason for this, it is said that in the TPP negotiations, the U.S. government criticized Japan’s mini-car tax as too low and being a non-tariff barrier to American vehicles.

Whenever multinational firms in the U.S. claim that they face something obstructive to their businesses, they can interfere in participating countries’ policies. This is the core of the multilateral free-trade agreement.

The ruling Liberal Democratic and Komei parties together with the opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai bulldozed bills related to the TPP ratification through the House of Representatives Special Committee. However, it is impossible for them to sweep the dangerous nature of the free-trade pact under the rug.

Past related articles:
> Japan should not rush for TPP ratification [September 3, 2016]
> Tokyo Univ. professor points out problems with TPP [April 3, 2016]