Japan to kick off FTA talks with East and Southeast Asian nations
Vietnam News Agency
Japan to kick off FTA talks with East and Southeast Asian nations
01/06/2005
Tokyo, Jan. 6 (VNA) - Japan will start negotiations on free trade agreements (FTAs) at the governmental level with Malaysia, Thailand and the Republic of Korea (RoK) this month.
In addition, Japan plans to hold FTA negotiations with the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) as a whole as well as Indonesia.
After reaching a comprehensive FTA deal with the Philippines last November, the Japanese Government hoped to sign such a deal with Malaysia. By the end of 2004, both sides reached major agreements in agricultural products and seafood, and their negotiations then focused on opening markets for industrial products and minerals for each other’s enterprises. The toughest issue in their negotiation talks was how Malaysia would open its automobile market.
Meanwhile, a major issue for discussions on an FTA between Japan and Thailand is to what extent Japan will meet the latter’s request for opening chicken and sugar markets.
During last December’s round of negotiations on a Japan-the RoK FTA, the two countries’ leaders agreed to start the next round of FTA negotiations in January 2005. The RoK has sued Japan for applying an import quota mechanism against the former’s seaweed.
