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Japan

Fear of losing out to China prompts FTA stampede
12-Sep-2004
Panicking suddenly over the specter of being left behind by its Asian neighbors, Japan is rushing to conclude bilateral free-trade agreements, with ministers striving to get stalled talks restarted.
Thai-Japan FTA: Talks stall over vehicles, parts
3-Sep-2004 The Nation
Free-trade talks with the Japanese have stalled after Tokyo complained about Thailand’s reluctance to open its markets to Japanese cars, car parts and metals.
Japan, Mexico near FTA
3-Sep-2004 DTN
Japan and Mexico have completed final details of their bilateral free trade agreement, paving the way for its implementation as early as next April, a senior Japanese government official said.
ANALYSIS: Japan, Asia face bumpy road toward free trade
3-Sep-2004 Reuters
Japan, keen not to lose ground to China, is stepping up its pursuit of regional and bilateral free trade pacts, but the path to success will be bumpy and some experts question how committed Tokyo really is.
Commerce Minister upbeat on Korea-Japan FTA
2-Sep-2004
Commerce-Industry-Energy Minister Lee Hee-beom on Tuesday expressed the Korean government’s strong desire to complete the Korea-Japan Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Japan eager to push for FTA with ASEAN
2-Sep-2004
The Japanese Government on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to start negotiations with ASEAN member countries on a Japan-ASEAN Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Thailand fails to deliver list of FTA demands
26-Jul-2004
Thailand has failed to present a list of products it wants the government to remove from the items subject to Japanese import regulations, according to government sources.
Philippines: Market access for fruits sought in FTA with Japan
20-Jul-2004
The Department of Agriculture will work for a better market for tropical vegetables in a proposed Philippines-Japan free trade agreement (FTA) as Japan is believed to be more inclined to favor tropical vegetables grown by small farmers over tropical fruits grown by multinational companies that already widely dominate its market.
Free trade with Malaysia chokes on car protection
19-Jul-2004
Japan plans to ask Malaysia to abandon protection of its domestic car industry during free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations this week, government sources have said.
Round 3 of Japan-Philippines FTA talks end in stalemate
9-Jul-2004 ABS-CBN
The negotiations for the signing of the country’s first free-trade agreement ended up in a stalemate again after Japan has yet to act on the request of the Philippines to allow entry to Filipino nurses, health workers and lawyers.
Excerpts from keynote speeches on Japan’s "economic partnerships": June 2004
9-Jun-2004
Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi proposed concluding economic partnerships with East Asian countries as part of the nation’s future policy during his tour of Southeast Asian countries in January 2002.
Mexico free trade founders on Japan’s farmers
28-May-2004
The failure of bilateral trade talks between Mexico and Japan on October 16 has shocked both sides, particularly Japan. The talks foundered on the question of what to do about Japan’s farmers, among the most highly subsidized in the world and the power base of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Korea’s FTA conundrum
28-May-2004 Korea’s FTA Conundrum
After a protracted courtship, Korea and Japan finally agreed last month to start negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement (FTA).
What benefit will FTAs bring to the Japanese economy?
27-May-2004 What benefit will FTAs bring to the Japanese economy?
Let me first give you four reasons why economic partnership agreements (EPAs), which cover broader areas than free trade agreements (FTAs), are important. The first reason is that FTAs are now a world "rule of the game," and Japan is at a disadvantage in not taking part in the game.
Japan’s FTA strategy
27-May-2004 Japan’s FTA strategy
Amid the advance of economic globalization, it is important to maintain and strengthen the free trade system. While the World Trade Organization continues to play an important role in this effort, free trade agreements (FTAs) offer a means of strengthening partnerships in areas not covered by the WTO and achieving liberalization beyond levels attainable under the WTO.
Japan: Red tape, resistance block free trade accords
27-May-2004 Japan: Red tape, resistance block free trade accords
Correctly tweaked, the numbers make perfect sense - free trade agreements (FTAs) between Japan and South-east Asian countries could provide a much-needed fillip to the moribund Japanese economy, and will in turn give a boost to a region in which Japan is already the biggest investor.
Japan’s policy to strengthen economic partnership
27-May-2004 Japan’s policy to strengthen economic partnership
– Promoting Economic Partnership Agreements with closely related countries and regions
Japan Needs FTAs
26-May-2004
Free trade agreements are now becoming the rule in world trade and Japan is at a big disadvantage if it does not take part in the game.
Businesses Lukewarm on Korea-Japan FTA
26-May-2004
In contrast to the recent push for adopting a free trade agreement (FTA) with Chile, leading business organizations, including the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) and Korea Federation of Small Business (KFSB), take a cautious approach to back ongoing FTA talks with Japan.
Japan-Korea FTA Study Group Report
17-May-2004
In July 2002, Japan and Korea established a Joint Study Group, composed of representatives from the government, business and academia of both countries, to appraise the possibility of establishing the Japan-Korea Free Trade Agreement (JKFTA).