bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

Japan


Japan, Brunei to hold first FTA talks next week
Japan and Brunei will hold the first round of talks aimed at concluding a free trade agreement in Tokyo for five days from Monday, Japan’’s Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
Activists concerned by meeting
Activists say they suspect Thailand and Japan were trying to speed up the conclusion of their stalled Free Trade Agreement (FTA) in a meeting last night between caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and the Japanese ambassador.
Seoul blamed for stalled FTA talks with Tokyo: Japan envoy
Negotiations on a free trade pact between South Korea and Japan remain in a stalemate because Seoul is demanding too many concessions in the agricultural sector from Tokyo, a top Japanese envoy said Tuesday.
FTA Watch letter to Japan PM on JTEPA
FTA Watch would like to call upon the Japanese Government to explain its position clearly to the international community and to reassure the Thai people that it will not take advantage of their situation by signing the Japan-Thailand Economic Partnership Agreement with the Thai caretaker Government
Korea seeks FTAs with EU, Japan, India
Korea will seek to strike free trade agreements (FTA) with China, Japan, India, the EU and Russia on top of its current negotiations with the United States, the nation’s top economic policymaker said.
Towards an East Asian economic unit
The developments of recent years have led to an Asian resurgence, with the emergence of China and India as engines of growth, the recovery of Japan from a decade-old recession, rise of the Asian middle class as a source of final demand, and increasing resilience of Asian countries to external shocks such as oil price rises, etc. Over the past decade, Asian countries have also integrated themselves within the region, as evident from a high and growing proportion of intra-regional trade and investments. Besides growing economic inter-dependence, Asian countries also face shared vulnerabilities to external shocks and natural disasters.
Indo-Jap deal holds productive promise
If commerce minister Kamal Nath’s statements in Tokyo are any indication, the proposed trade agreement with Japan will mark a distinct shift from the free-trade agreements India has favoured with other countries.
Najib: KL will review ‘lopsided’ FTA with Japan
Malaysia will review its free trade agreement (FTA) with Japan following claims that it is lopsided, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.
Japanese official: FTA talks with China are possible in 2008
Mr. Osamu Watanabe, Chairman of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) recently told China Youth Daily in Beijing that talks on the free trade zone between Japan and China were not likely to be launched until 2008 when China fully honors its WTO commitment.
Japan Inc smitten by Vietnam
Japanese firms’ investment spree in Vietnam comes amid an increasing number of free-trade agreements (FTAs) being concluded or negotiated in East Asia.
India seeks Japanese investment
If you can’t beat them, join them. That seems to be India’s mantra in its attempt to get more Japanese investments in the manufacturing sector, with some companies using New Delhi’s bilateral trade agreements to use another country as an export base for the Indian consumer.
ASEAN chief supports establishment of FTA in East Asia
Visiting General Secretary of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Ong Keng Yong has said that he supports a proposal by Japanese Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshihiro Nikai to establish a free trade area in East Asia and a regional policy coordinating organisation following the model of the Organisation of Economic and Cooperation Development.
Japan-Malaysia FTA to take effect on July 13
A free trade agreement between Japan and Malaysia will take effect on July 13 to scrap tariffs on essentially all industrial goods and most agricultural, forestry and fishery products within 10 years, the Japanese government said Tuesday.
Ex-US official sees S Korea-US FTA as ’wake-up call’ to Japan
A successful conclusion of South Korea-US free trade agreement talks would be a "wake-up call" to Japan and the United States for a similar accord between the two countries, a former senior US trade official said in a recent interview.
FTA could be met with court action
Thai citizens could file a lawsuit with the Constitutional Court if the caretaker government signs a free trade agreement with Japan, said Somchai Preechasinlapakun, dean of law at Chiang Mai University.
Government urged to defer FTA deals with US and Japan
Thailand’s caretaker government has been urged to defer its conclusion of bilateral free trade area (FTA) agreements with the United States and Japan until a newly-elected administration takes office.
China urges Korea to conclude free trade agreement
Beijing wants an FTA with Korea to alleviate its chronic trade deficit with its neighbor. Seoul is more reserved on the issue, since it could cause a surge in cheap agricultural produce and light industry goods.
Tensions stall Japan/South Korea FTA
Negotiations for a free trade pact between South Korea and Japan have been deadlocked for more than a year partly due to differences over how the two sides view their history, South Korea’s commerce minister said on Friday.
Hyosung head calls for corporate-led FTA
Business leaders in South Korea and Japan need to play an active role in achieving a free trade agreement between the two countries, a Korean conglomerate owner said Thursday.
US ’better free trade partner than Japan, China’
The US is a much better free-trade partner for Korea than China or Japan, where issues of race and historical animosities would make an agreement difficult, Korea’s chief negotiator in free-trade talks with the US said Thursday.