September 7, 2012
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2012 September 5 - 11 [AGRICULTURE]
Agriculture in subordination to US - IV: Ill effects expected from TPP |
Japan’s food self-sufficiency rate will drop to 13%
TPP participation will damage the Japanese economy as a whole from domestic production to local economies and people’s everyday lives. The country’s agriculture will especially take a direct hit from the TPP.
The agriculture ministry estimates that a decrease of 4.1 trillion yen in the production of domestic farm products, 50 billion yen in forestry products, and 420 billion yen in marine products would result. Apart from these losses, multiple functions that Japan’s agriculture performs would suffer a loss of 3.7 trillion yen, a decrease of 8.44 trillion yen in GDP would be expected, and more than 3.5 million people would lose their jobs. The country’s food self-sufficiency rate would drop to 13% from the current 39%.
The Central Union of Agricultural Co-operatives (JA-Zenchu), the Japan Medical Association, and many other consumer and industry groups are voicing their opposition to Japan’s entry into TPP negotiations.
US priorities
The TPP, in the first place, is a trade agreement involving only four countries, including Singapore. It aims at the removal of all tariffs, calling for the harmonization of each country’s systems in various fields. The U.S. wants to join in this agreement with a view to forming a U.S.-led economic sphere by expanding the TPP coverage to other countries of the Pacific region.
U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ambassador Ronald Kirk said that the U.S. intends to reflect its priorities and values through the TPP to enhance American competitiveness in this region and generate job-creating opportunities for U.S. businesses and workers (December 2009).
Many U.S. industries are looking forward to entering the Japanese market, requesting that the USTR urge Japan to eliminate tariffs on farm products and to change Japan’s present systems in all areas such as government procurement, drug pricing, food safety standards, and postal and insurance services for the sake of U.S. business interests.
Japan’s participation in the TPP, however, needs a prior consent of the TPP negotiating nations. Focusing on the areas of beef, cars, and postal services, the United States is pressing Japan to ease restrictions on these areas in advance.
Japan’s participation in the TPP talks is depending on how much Japan meets U.S. demands or how the U.S. evaluates Japan’s efforts. Then, if Japan decides to join the free-trade talks, Japan will come under further pressure to comply with U.S. demands.
>Agriculture in subordination to US - I: Road to more imports of US farm surplus
>Agriculture in subordination to US - II: beef and citrus imports liberalized
>Agriculture in subordination to US - III: Door opened for further rice imports
>Agriculture in subordination to US - V: Food sovereignty a must
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