Japan to be briefed on TPP talks Nov. 9: Maehara+

TOKYO, Oct. 26 Kyodo -
Foreign Minister Seiji Maehara said Tuesday that Japan and three other
countries interested in a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free trade
agreement will exchange views Nov. 9 with nine nations currently negotiating
enlarging the pact.
Japan, China, Canada and the Philippines will be separately briefed on progress
in the ongoing talks to formulate the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement on
the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum meetings in
Yokohama, he said.
Whether to join the TPP, which was originally launched by four Asia-Pacific
countries, has aroused political controversy in Japan, with some legislators
concerned it could deal a serious blow to the heavily protected domestic farm
sector.
The pact in principle requires member states to eliminate all tariffs and major
farm exporters the United States and Australia are among the countries bidding
to sign it.
Prime Minister Naoto Kan has instructed members of his Cabinet to accelerate
preparatory work within the government for Japan to consider joining the TPP
negotiations.
Maehara said the briefing session will take place ahead of a ministerial
meeting of the nine countries Nov. 11 in Yokohama on the fringes of APEC talks.
Noting that the nine countries are scheduled to hold a series of meetings
toward next year's APEC process in the United States, which will culminate in a
summit in November in Hawaii, Maehara said, ''Doors for the TPP are closing.''
Washington hopes to conclude the TPP negotiations at that time, according to
Japanese government officials.
''If we forgo a political decision now and reach a conclusion to join the TPP
later, we will not be able to take part in the talks,'' he told a press
conference. ''If we are to join the rulemaking process, we should not defer a
decision.''
Hiromasa Yonekura, chairman of the Japan Business Federation, Japan's largest
business lobby known as Nippon Keidanren, also urged the government to decide
to join the TPP negotiations, telling a press conference in Toyama that not
participating ''will risk isolating Japan from the rest of the world.''
Yonekura said Japan's farm sector should not fear any possible adverse impact
from the envisioned free trade pact, saying he believes it would leave some
room for exceptions to trade liberalization.
''In Japan, it is wrongly reported that the TPP would immediately do away with
all tariffs without any exception, sending shockwaves toward farmers. But I
believe the pact will reflect what has been agreed on bilaterally,'' he said.
Yonekura pointed to the free trade agreement between the United States and
Australia, which excluded sugar from items subject to trade liberalizations.
Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akihiro Ohata said at a press conference
the government should ''fully'' study the impact that joining the TPP would
have on Japanese industry.
He also said the consideration process so far has ''not been enough at all''
and acknowledged he feels there are ''various difficult tasks'' in regard to
the issue.
The TPP is seen as a potential key framework that could lead to forming a free
trade zone among 21 APEC members. The envisioned region-wide free trade
undertaking is known as the Free Trade Area of Asia-Pacific.
Promoting regional economic integration is one of the major topics to be
discussed at the Nov. 13 to 14 APEC summit in Yokohama, which will be preceded
by ministerial talks Nov. 10 to 11.
The TPP was originally concluded by Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore,
and took effect in 2006.
Negotiations to expand it are under way with five other countries. Besides the
United States and Australia, Vietnam, Malaysia and Peru are involved in the
talks.
Maehara said Cabinet members share the recognition that regardless of whether
Japan participates in the TPP, the nation's farm sector needs to be overhauled.
He also said agricultural reform would require financial assistance to domestic
farmers who will be damaged by trade liberalization, but that the government
''should not repeat the past experience of spending most such money on public
works projects'' including irrigation and drainage.
He referred to the 6.01 trillion yen spent to support the agricultural sector
after Japan struck a deal in 1993 to import a certain percentage of rice it
consumes under the Uruguay Round trade liberalization talks under the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, the predecessor of the World Trade
Organization.
Maehara said such financial resources should be used to create jobs in the farm
sector.
==Kyodo
2010-10-26 23:17:49