Japan Press Weekly

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2011 October 26 - November 1 [ECONOMY]

Japanese farmers and doctors to jointly block TPP

The largest Japanese farmers’ group consisting of 9.5 million members will join forces with a doctors’ organization with 166,000 members to oppose Japan’s entry into the proposed free trade agreement.

President of the Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu) Banzai Akira on October 25 held a press conference to announce that he had reached an agreement with President of the Japan Medical Association Haranaka Katsuyuki to work together to block the Japanese government from participating in the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership (TPP) negotiations.

Banzai also released the names of 356 Dietmembers, including 15 of the Japanese Communist Party, who are in support of the anti-TPP petition that JA-Zenchu submitted to the Diet earlier on the day.

Meanwhile in the United States, 45 economic organizations in commerce, manufacture, agriculture, services, drug, and finance are lobbying the Obama Administration to not accept any exceptions in market liberalization at the TPP negotiations with other countries.

Being conscious of Japan’s participation in the TPP negotiations, the U.S. business circle on October 19 wrote a letter to President Barack Obama demanding that he prevent other countries or regions from excluding particular items from open markets.

The letter states that accepting exclusion rules will hamper U.S. corporations and workers from taking advantage of favorable economic opportunities, undermine U.S. competitiveness, and lead other TPP member countries to also call for similar regulations.

Pro-TPP forces in Japan often argue that Japan can pull out of the TPP negotiations at any time if they go against the national interest, with the view to win the understanding of reluctant politicians inside the Democratic Party of Japan and the Liberal Democratic Party.

However, the letter to President Obama by the U.S. economic community suggests it will be difficult for Japan to have the United States accept the Japanese requests for moderation in the TPP negotiations.

Foreign Minister Genba Koichiro also admits that to leave the negotiations would not be so easy.