Japan not to send senior officials to upcoming Pacific FTA talks
Mainichi Japan | December 4, 2010
Japan not to send senior officials to upcoming Pacific FTA talks
TOKYO (Kyodo) — Japan has given up the idea of sending senior officials to the upcoming round of negotiations for a U.S.-backed multilateral trans-Pacific free trade agreement, to be held in New Zealand from Monday, a government official said Friday.
The round of negotiations was supposed to be a good occasion for Japan to contact officials from economies involved in the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative as Tokyo is considering joining the framework, but the official said it would be difficult to find opportunities to hold bilateral meetings outside the TPP talks.
Meanwhile, Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Akihiro Ohata told a regular press conference earlier in the day that Japan was not allowed to join the meeting as an observer.
To gather information, however, Japan plans to send senior officials from the trade, foreign and farm ministries to New Zealand, and possibly other countries, after the round of negotiations ends, the official said.
The TPP originated in a free trade agreement among Brunei, Chile, New Zealand and Singapore, and negotiations are under way to expand it by including more countries in the Asia-Pacific region, such as major agricultural exporters Australia and the United States.
Being part of the TPP is likely to help boost exports of Japan’s auto and electrical machinery makers but it would also be a challenge for Japan, which has been reluctant to open up its agricultural market, as the TPP requires members in principle to eliminate all tariffs.
Japan has recently decided to start consultations with the TPP negotiating countries. The United States hopes to conclude the negotiations late next year.
