Japan, U.S. Still Apart on 5 Key Areas for TPP

Tokyo, Dec. 1 (Jiji Press)--Akira Amari, Japan's minister for issues related to Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks, and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman failed to reach an agreement on the handling of five sensitive farm product categories for Japan at their meeting here on Sunday. "We had very tough talks on remaining issues between Japan and the United States," Amari told reporters after the meeting. "No conclusion was reached, and we agreed to continue discussions," he added. The Amari-Froman meeting took place as the two countries are aiming to help conclude the 12-nation TPP negotiations by the end of this year. The five sensitive categories for Japan are rice, wheat, beef and pork, dairy products, and sugar and starch. Japan wants the five sectors to be excluded from the TPP's basic principle of tariff elimination. Meanwhile, the United States has been urging Tokyo to make further efforts for liberalization. The 12 countries are slated to hold ministerial talks in Singapore for four days from Saturday with the aim of reaching a political decision on difficult issues such as tariff cuts and elimination, and intellectual property rights. The Japanese government had regarded the latest Amari-Froman meeting as a very important session to help pave the way for the 12 countries to reach a final agreement in the TPP negotiations. The meeting, which lasted for two hours, was joined by Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga and Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Caroline Kennedy. Amari told reporters that he explained to the U.S. side Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's stance of not conceding even an inch, apparently referring to the five sensitive areas. But he also signaled Tokyo's intention to redouble efforts toward the Singapore meeting, saying that the course of Japan-U.S. discussions will decide the fate of the TPP negotiations. Froman separately told reporters that the two sides had frank discussions on issues of importance to each country. U.S.-Japan relations are now at the most critical point, stressing the importance of the two countries taking the lead in successfully concluding the TPP negotiations. Later on Sunday, Froman held talks with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Toshimitsu Motegi on auto trade issues, one of the focal points in bilateral talks related to the TPP negotiations. END