Japan Press Weekly

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2018 April 11 - 17 [ECONOMY]

JCP Kami: Japan should refuse negotiations for Japan-US FTA

Japanese Communist Party lawmaker Kami Tomoko on April 10 at a House of Councilors Agriculture Committee meeting urged the government not to accept the U.S. request for free trade negotiations that would lead to a further increase in import of agricultural products during the Abe-Trump summit meeting scheduled for next week.

Kami pointed out that the U.S. Trade Representative in March at a U.S. congressional hearing testified that Washington had informed Tokyo of its hope to negotiate a Japan-U.S. free trade agreement. Kami said that when Japan asked for an exemption from the U.S. policy to limit imports of steel and aluminum products in the upcoming summit meeting, Japan would be urged to enter FTA negotiations. Foreign Affairs counselor Hayashi Teiji stopped short of denying that possibility.

Kami cited that in the Abe-Trump meeting in November 2017, the leaders discussed ways to reduce the U.S. trade deficit, in particular, Japan’s tariff on U.S. beef. Kami asked the government whether it has a strategy for rejecting the U.S. demand on FTA negotiations involving farm produce. Agriculture Minister Saito Ken just said that he must refrain from making a response.

Kami said, “Japan should refuse any trade talk for a Japan-U.S. FTA that will allow for the full opening of Japan’s agricultural market.”

Past related articles:
> Citizens rally to call for opposition to Japan-US FTA [February 10, 2017]