Tariffs, other hurdles still remain in TPP talks, government official says
Japan Times | Feb 17, 2015
Tariffs, other hurdles still remain in TPP talks, government official says
Japan and the United States remain divided over tariffs and issues such as intellectual property rights in their negotiations on the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, according to a Japanese government official.
Kazuhisa Shibuya, a councilor at the Cabinet Secretariat and member of the government’s task force on TPP issues, briefed industrial groups and then told reporters that the talks have advanced toward the goal but that the “hurdles remain high.”
The briefing was attended by some 200 people, mainly from the agriculture, forestry, fisheries and medical industries. Civil groups were also represented.
Japan, the United States and the 10 other would-be TPP members are in the final stages of talks and aim to reach a broad agreement this spring.
The government told the briefing there had been progress in working-level negotiations held in the past few weeks.
Shibuya quoted one attendee as asking about the progress of discussions with Washington on tariffs on five key farm product categories, including rice, beef and pork.
In response, Shibuya said that the government is negotiating to reach an agreement that can get Diet approval. Broadly speaking, the assembly wants such tariffs to stay.
