Japan cool to New Zealand’s FTA proposal
Thursday July 5, 2007
Japan cool to New Zealand’s FTA proposal
Kyodo
Japan implicitly turned down a proposal from New Zealand on Thursday to seek a bilateral free trade agreement, noting that agricultural trade will act as a stumbling block, a Japanese trade ministry official said.
The proposal was made by New Zealand Minister for Trade Phil Goff when he met with Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akira Amari in Cairns, Australia, earlier in the day, stressing that an FTA will further strengthen economic relations between the two countries, the official told reporters.
But Amari was quoted as saying there is a "difficult aspect" against a bilateral FTA arrangement, adding that the two countries can reinforce their economic ties by promoting cooperation in investment, science and technology, energy saving and other fields as well as through FTA talks in such international frameworks as the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Asked if Amari meant agriculture by the difficult aspect, the official said, "Yes. Agricultural produce is a sensitive issue (for Japan)."
Amari and Goff met on the occasion of a two-day meeting of trade ministers from the 21 APEC members that began Thursday in Australia.
Amari also met U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab who was quoted as saying the U.S. Congress would renew President George W. Bush’s "fast-track" trade negotiation power if major achievements, such as a settlement of stalled global trade liberalization talks by the year-end, are made.
The Trade Promotion Authority legislation authorizes the president to negotiate trade agreements without interference from Congress. Bush lost his special trade power at midnight on Saturday as opposition Democrats refused the White House’s call to renew it.
