JPEPA
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
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14-Jun-2016 Manila Times Sugar talks with Japan in crucial phase
The Philippines has been seeking review of JPEPA since Japan has not fulfilled its commitments under the agreement. -
3-May-2016 Manila Times PH to push agri agenda at PJEPA talks
The Philippines will put forward its interests on agriculture sector during the renegotiation of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (PJEPA). -
16-Jul-2015 Manila Times Tokyo urges Manila to accept Fukushima farm produce
Tokyo is pressing Manila to relax its import restrictions on farm products from the Fukushima prefecture in exchange for more trade concessions under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, the Department of Agriculture revealed on Wednesday. -
13-Jul-2015 Philippine Daily Inquirer Renegotiation of PH-Japan economic deal sought
A group of banana exporters is calling for a renegotiation of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, saying that shipments to Japan have been dwindling due to tariffs that make them uncompetitive. -
7-Apr-2015 PDI JPEPA: Keep existing fiscal perks, Japan firms urge gov’t
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Philippines will appeal to the government anew to retain the existing fiscal incentive regime in an upcoming meeting under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa). -
12-Nov-2014 Sun Star 300 Pinoy nurses, caregivers Japan-bound
Notwithstanding the ruling on the legality of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) that is expected in the coming weeks, over 300 Filipino nurses and caregivers are bound for Japan in an attempt at gaining employment. -
30-Oct-2014 GMA Network SC inches closer to resolving JPEPA petition
The Philippine Supreme Court has gone a step closer to resolving a six-year-old petition seeking to stop the implementation of the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). -
8-Oct-2014 GMA News Six years after JPEPA: PHL the world’s toxic waste dump site?
Six years after the controversial Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) was signed, Philippines may be becoming the world’s dump site for toxic waste. -
28-Jul-2014 Kyodo 590 Filipinas not covered by FTA came to Japan to work as caregivers
About 590 Filipinas who have come to Japan to work at nursing care facilities are not eligible for public support under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement, Kyodo reports. -
16-Jun-2014 Business Mirror What you should know about the unusual Jpepa
Although both governments said at its signing that the agreement would be positive for both Japan and the Philippines in terms of trade and investment, the pact is actually lopsided in favor of the more powerful Japanese economic interests. -
25-Apr-2014 PH sorts out Japan trade issues
The Philippine government will continue to sort out the trade concerns raised by the Japanese government during the eighth meeting of the subcommittee on the Improvement of Business Environment under the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (Jpepa). -
27-Jan-2014 PDI PH to seek more concessions under deal with Japan
The Philippine Department of Trade and Industry is seen to press for more agricultural concessions for the country under the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, the general review of which is expected to be completed this year. -
23-Dec-2012 SRA wants sugar quota allocation from Japan
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). -
17-Mar-2012 Tariffs, access on agenda for JPEPA renegotiation
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. -
21-Feb-2012 Japan ‘very pleased’ with Jpepa—embassy
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. -
14-Dec-2011 Manila Bulletin PJEPA review reset to January
Negotiations for the general review of the Philippines-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, originally scheduled this month, have been moved to January next year. -
25-Nov-2011 BusinessWorld Philippine-Japan agreement to undergo formal negotiations in Dec.
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. -
19-Nov-2011 Japan reneges on JPEPA commitment
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. -
8-Nov-2011 Manila Bulletin RP, Japan agree PJEPA overhaul
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. -
17-Oct-2011 Manila Bulletin Comprehensive PJEPA FTA review pushed
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.
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FairTradeWeb
A broad multisectoral coalition of formal and informal labor, industry, agriculture, NGOs and youth pushing for the renegotiation of the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA). -
JPEPA Research Project website
A research website on the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) maintained by the Philippine APEC Study Centre Network -
Magkaisa Junk JPEPA
Multisectoral effort to defeat an unfair and environmentally unjust bilateral trade agreement with Japan
Links
Upcoming days of action
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News from the movements
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28-Sep-2016 Global Labour Column
Unpacking CETA
For decades, labour has been fighting purely defensive battles against the neo-liberal trade and investment agenda; we lack an agenda of our own. Lost ground will not be reclaimed on what is fundamentally hostile territory, argues Peter Rossmann of the IUF. -
26-Sep-2016 No al TTIP
Aprobada en Les Corts Valencianes una iniciativa para instar al Gobierno central a no autorizar la firma del Acuerdo Económico y Comercial Global (CETA)
Un total de 32 ayuntamientos valencianos, que aglutinan a más de un millón de personas, han rechazado este acuerdo. -
23-Sep-2016 La Diaria
Para comerte mejor. Contra los TLC y otros tratados vampiros
Suplemento especial elaborado por La Diaria, Uruguay, dedicado a los Tratados de Libre Comercio. -
23-Sep-2016 TeleSur
Dozens of Indigenous absolved in Peru’s 2009 ’Baguazo’ massacre
Dozens of Indigenous people in Peru have been absolved of accusations that they were responsible for a massacre seven years ago that killed at least 32 people, due to intense conflict triggered by the country’s free trade agreements.
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22-Sep-2016 CADTM
ATTAC CADTM Maroc organise un séminaire sur les accords de libre échange au Maroc
Il est urgent de lever le silence qui entoure cette question dans notre pays et de présenter des éléments de réflexion critique et de débat sur ce sujet -
21-Sep-2016 El Economista
Miles de personas protestan ante las instituciones europeas contra el TTIP
Miles de personas se manifestaron hoy (20-9) en el barrio europeo de Bruselas contra el TTIP y el pacto comercial ya cerrado con Canadá (conocido por CETA), aún pendiente de ratificación. -
21-Sep-2016 EurActiv
Thousands protest in Brussels against US, Canada trade deals
Thousands of protesters marched through Brussels to demand the European Union abandon planned transatlantic free trade deals. -
21-Sep-2016 Le Monde
Des milliers de manifestants à Bruxelles contre les traités de libre-échange transatlantiques
Plusieurs milliers de personnes manifestaient à Bruxelles pour dénoncer le traité de libre-échange transatlantique que l’UE négocie avec les Etats-Unis (TTIP) et son équivalent avec le Canada (CETA).
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