Diet approves TPP despite Trump’s stated opposition
The Asahi Shimbun | 9 December 2016
Diet approves TPP despite Trump’s stated opposition
By KEIKO NANNICHI
Although seemingly dead due to opposition from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement was approved by the Diet on Dec. 9.
In a session of the Upper House special committee on the TPP earlier in the day, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to continue asking the United States to ratify the 12-nation trade agreement.
“Even if it has become unclear if the TPP will take effect, it is extremely meaningful to continue to show the world the strategic and economic significance the TPP has,” Abe said.
Trump has said that the United States will leave the TPP on his first day as the U.S. president.
The TPP bill and related bills passed the committee on Dec. 9 with support from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, its junior coalition partner, Komeito, and opposition party Nippon Ishin no Kai. Other opposition parties, including the Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party, voted against them.
Later that day, the bills passed the plenary session of the chamber.
The Lower House passed the bill and the related bills on Nov. 10.
The TPP agreement aims to create a huge free economic zone, which covers about 40 percent of the world’s trade, with the participation of Japan, the United States and 10 other countries. Approval by at least the Japanese Diet and the U.S. Congress is necessary for the agreement to take effect.
So far, the New Zealand parliament has approved the TPP.
The TPP agreement is expected to produce economic benefits of 14 trillion yen (about $122 billion) in Japan. The Japanese government has regarded the approval of the TPP as the most important challenge facing the current Diet session.
