ID :
147715
Thu, 10/28/2010 - 03:09
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/147715
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U.S. concerned about delay in trans-Pacific FTA talks if Japan joins+
WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 Kyodo -
The U.S. government has informally told Japan of its concern about a possible
long delay in negotiations on a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free
trade agreement if Tokyo participates in them, Japanese and U.S. sources said
Wednesday.
The U.S. concern reflects Japan's difficulty in removing tariffs on
agricultural imports, as the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement will
require members to reduce all tariffs to zero, the sources said.
U.S. negotiators are afraid that the TPP talks would drag on if Japan
participates in them and seeks to maintain import tariffs on rice, beef and
other domestically sensitive agricultural products.
The Japanese government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to include Japan's
participation in the TPP negotiations in a basic policy that it will adopt in
early November to promote talks with other countries on FTAs.
But the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, led by Kan, is split over the
proposal to take part in the negotiations due to opposition by member lawmakers
representing agricultural constituencies.
U.S. negotiators are also concerned about a possible time-consuming process in
U.S. Congress in authorizing the TPP as the government will need to give
lawmakers a 90-day screening period if a new country joins the TPP
negotiations, the sources said.
The TPP negotiations, which will be built on a regional FTA that took effect in
2006 among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, are under way between the
four nations and five other countries -- the United States, Australia, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Peru.
Washington hopes to wrap up the talks by the time it hosts the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation meeting in Hawaii in November next year.
The U.S. government maintains a wait-and-see stance on Japan's approach to the
issue and is expected to adhere to it at a meeting between Japanese Foreign
Minister Seiji Maehara and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Hawaii on
Wednesday local time.
Washington is aware that Japan as a major economic power will need to
participate in the TPP talks sooner or later, according to the sources.
Under the circumstances, Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East
Asian and Pacific affairs, said Monday Japan's new interest in joining the
talks is welcomed, while pointing out the difficulties in ironing out internal
differences.
==Kyodo
The U.S. government has informally told Japan of its concern about a possible
long delay in negotiations on a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free
trade agreement if Tokyo participates in them, Japanese and U.S. sources said
Wednesday.
The U.S. concern reflects Japan's difficulty in removing tariffs on
agricultural imports, as the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement will
require members to reduce all tariffs to zero, the sources said.
U.S. negotiators are afraid that the TPP talks would drag on if Japan
participates in them and seeks to maintain import tariffs on rice, beef and
other domestically sensitive agricultural products.
The Japanese government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to include Japan's
participation in the TPP negotiations in a basic policy that it will adopt in
early November to promote talks with other countries on FTAs.
But the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, led by Kan, is split over the
proposal to take part in the negotiations due to opposition by member lawmakers
representing agricultural constituencies.
U.S. negotiators are also concerned about a possible time-consuming process in
U.S. Congress in authorizing the TPP as the government will need to give
lawmakers a 90-day screening period if a new country joins the TPP
negotiations, the sources said.
The TPP negotiations, which will be built on a regional FTA that took effect in
2006 among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, are under way between the
four nations and five other countries -- the United States, Australia, Vietnam,
Malaysia and Peru.
Washington hopes to wrap up the talks by the time it hosts the Asia-Pacific
Economic Cooperation meeting in Hawaii in November next year.
The U.S. government maintains a wait-and-see stance on Japan's approach to the
issue and is expected to adhere to it at a meeting between Japanese Foreign
Minister Seiji Maehara and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in Hawaii on
Wednesday local time.
Washington is aware that Japan as a major economic power will need to
participate in the TPP talks sooner or later, according to the sources.
Under the circumstances, Kurt Campbell, assistant secretary of state for East
Asian and Pacific affairs, said Monday Japan's new interest in joining the
talks is welcomed, while pointing out the difficulties in ironing out internal
differences.
==Kyodo
