ID :
136404
Fri, 08/06/2010 - 13:26
Auther :

Australian envoy hopes Japan addresses agricultural protectionism+



TOKYO, Aug. 5 Kyodo -
Australian Ambassador to Japan Murray McLean on Thursday said he hopes Japan
will address agricultural protectionism issues that are making it difficult for
it to join negotiations on an expanding multilateral free trade agreement in
the Asia-Pacific region.
The Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement which involves Australia and the United
States is seen as a potential core framework for moving ahead with regional
economic integration. Economic integration will be a major topic for discussion
by the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum throughout this year.
''We certainly hope that the political will exists in Japan and there will be
decisive action taken by the Japanese government to address those big issues of
agricultural protectionism which...will make it very difficult for Japan to be
a participant of the TPP,'' the ambassador said during an interview with Kyodo
News, noting that members of the TPP are pursuing a ''high-quality
comprehensive FTA.''
He said that the agricultural problem has also hampered the conclusion of
ongoing bilateral free trade agreement negotiations between Australia, a major
exporter of farm products, and Japan.
Japan's agricultural sector, which is heavily protected, is expected to suffer
a blow if such items as beef, sugar and dairy products are imported cheaply.
As for the TPP, Japan has only said that it has ''interest'' in the
arrangement, but has stopped short of expressing determination to join it.
The TPP was originally reached between Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and
Singapore, and entered into force in 2006. Current negotiations started in
March by adding Australia, Peru, the United States and Vietnam.
With the eight countries all belonging to APEC, the TPP could be one of the
''possible pathways'' in creating a Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific, or
FTAAP, which APEC is seeking to achieve.
Meanwhile, on Japan's own target to seek an FTAAP by the year 2020, the
Australian ambassador said the timeline seems a ''quite ambitious goal.''
''We believe that an FTAAP might best be developed as a result of certain
progress in certain building blocks,'' he said, adding, ''One of those would be
the TPP.''
Referring to APEC's ongoing efforts to work on a regional growth strategy, the
ambassador said that Australia thinks structural reform would be a critical
element to be included in it.
He also said Australia thinks that a five-year term, at least initially, is an
appropriate period for the growth strategy, rather than 10 or 15 years,
''because if it's dragged on, then people don't bother too much.''
The growth strategy, to be compiled later this year, will be discussed in
detail during a high-level APEC meeting to be held in Oita Prefecture this
weekend.
APEC, which accounts for more than half the world's economic output and 44
percent of its trade by value, also involves such members as China, Russia,
South Korea, Taiwan, and some of the countries that belong to the Association
of Southeast Asian Nations.
Australia was the key country in the foundation of APEC in 1989.
==Kyodo
2010-08-05 23:59:26


Delete & Prev | Delete & Next
Move to:

X