Japan Press Weekly

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2012 March 14 - 20 [ECONOMY]

Gov’t should stop promoting prior negotiations for TPP

Akahata editorial (excerpts)

The Noda cabinet is promoting prior consultation meetings with other countries in preparation for taking part in negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement. Six nations have so far agreed with Japan’s participation in the negotiations. Consultations with major agricultural nations, the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand, will soon enter a crucial stage.

Among the three countries, bilateral meetings with the U.S. are significant as the United States is very insistent with its demand that Japan fully open all trade markets.

On March 7, United States Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Ron Kirk, during his testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, pledged to continue to press Japan to completely open its markets and fulfill its trade obligations.

He also stated that the Japanese government is fully aware of U.S. interests in free trade, especially in the fields of automobiles, insurance, and agriculture.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Noda’s cabinet has only provided very ambiguous statements regarding Japan’s position on the multinational free-trade pact. Before the prior consultation meetings started, the prime minister stated that his cabinet will try to protect Japan’s “beautiful farming villages,” but he has failed to indicate any concrete measures to do so.

At the opening of bilateral consultations with the U.S., the Japanese government reaffirmed its promise to put all items on the negotiating table for liberalization. On the other hand, it has claimed domestically that it still has a chance to protect rice and other key items.

The TPP is aimed at eliminating tariff rates without exception and removing non-tariff barriers in such fields as investment and government procurement. It is essentially a framework for the U.S. to further develop a global economic system that works for the benefits of multinational corporations.

Japan should not take part in the TPP negotiations. What it should do instead is to work for restoration of domestic agriculture and revitalization of the sluggish economy.