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The governments of Japan and the Philippines reached a basic political agreement on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) on 29 November 2004 at the ASEAN Summit in Laos. The agreement was then signed in Helsinki on 9 September 2006 and came into force on 11 December 2008. It was the Philippines’ first free trade agreement and Japan’s fourth.
JPEPA was and remains hugely controversial. Filipinos — and on some issues, Japanese groups — mobilised to stop the deal for many reasons, including the following:  the small job market openings for Filipino healthcare workers are very limited (the workers must learn Japanese, undergo equivalency exams, stay for only a restricted time etc) and overlook the real potential for abuse of Filipino workers in Japan; concerns that Japan will gain access to and be able to overfish Philippine waters, ruining the livelihoods of small fisherfolk; any supposed benefits for increased pineapple and banana exports to Japan would in fact go to corporations like Dole and Del Monte, and their local business partners, who own and run the plantations in the Philippines — not to small or landless Filipino farmers; its unconstitutionality, since JPEPA allows Japanese corporations to own land, operate schools and practice certain professions in the Philippines which the Philippine Constitution does not allow; the huge imbalances in the deal, e.g. Japan excluded almost 200 tariff lines from the agreement, the Philippines only six; and the fact that JPEPA gives explicit legal ground for Japan to dump toxic wastes in the Philippines.last update: May 2012 Articles
SRA wants sugar quota allocation from Japan
| 23-December-2012
The government is asking Japan that Filipino sugar exporters be given a regular quota of 150,000-200,000 metric tons per year under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA).
Tariffs, access on agenda for JPEPA renegotiation
| 17-March-2012
The Philippines hopes to persuade Japan to lower tariffs further for over a thousand types of agricultural goods when the two meet to renegotiate a bilateral trade pact later this semester, a Trade official said.
Japan ‘very pleased’ with Jpepa—embassy
| 21-February-2012
Japan is very pleased with the economic fruits of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa), which has made “significant strides” since it came into force in 2008, according to the Japanese Embassy in Pasay City.
PJEPA review reset to January
| 14-December-2011
Negotiations for the general review of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, originally scheduled this month, have been moved to January next year. 
A work standard for Filipino nurses and caregivers in Japan and the raising of tariff quotas for chicken and other agricultural items will be among the issues that the Philippines will raise when it reviews its bilateral agreement with Japan next month.
Japan reneges on JPEPA commitment
| 19-November-2011
The local automotive industry has asked the government to remind Japan of its commitment to bring in fresh investments into the Philippines under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement.
RP, Japan agree PJEPA overhaul
| 8-November-2011
The Philippines and Japan are in agreement to undertake a comprehensive review of its bilateral free trade agreement, but are likely to clash in their objectives as the Philippines is set to go for more protection of its interest, like higher tariffs on some imports from Japan, in contrast to Japan’s call for further trade liberalization and other sectors covered under the agreement.
Comprehensive PJEPA FTA review pushed
| 17-October-2011
The Philippines is expected to call for a comprehensive review of its free trade agreement with Japan to put the country in a better position, but such move should not be in conflict with Japan’s stance that the review should only focus on further liberalizing this bilateral trade agreement. 
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry is studying whether it has to recommend the inclusion of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement or not in the agenda of the official visit of President Aquino in Japan later this month. 
A multisectoral group urged the Philippine Supreme Court to rule on its petition filed in 2008 that sought to stop the implementation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). 0 | 10 | 20 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 70 | 80 | ... | 270 | archives |
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