Pacific free trade pact may allow no exceptions: gov’t tells DPJ
Mainichi Japan | October 18, 2011
Pacific free trade pact may allow no exceptions: gov’t tells DPJ
TOKYO (Kyodo) — The government told ruling party lawmakers Monday that it is unclear whether exceptions will be admitted in abolishing tariffs under the proposed trans-Pacific free trade framework as they weighed whether Japan should join talks for the multilateral pact.
The possibility of scrapping tariffs on all items under the Trans-Pacific Partnership initiative, including rice, which Japan has protected from cheap imports with high tariffs, was noted during a meeting of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan’s project team on the matter.
During the team’s two meetings held Monday following its inauguration last week, the government presented for the first time pros and cons of issues that nine countries involved in the TPP talks are negotiating in 24 working groups.
The government pointed out that if Japan joins the TPP, it could call for the abolition of the country’s tariffs on about 940 items which have been treated as exceptions under its free trade agreements to date, such as rice and wheat. As such, "careful consideration" on the TPP is necessary, it said.
At the same time, the government said the TPP would contribute to expanding Japanese companies’ exports and help the nation stably secure necessary resources going forward.
On the safety of foods, the government said the possibility "cannot be ruled out" that the TPP calls for relaxation of Japan’s import restrictions on U.S. beef that were imposed over mad cow fears and its rules on indication of gene-altered foods, while adding that it does not intend to accept any proposals that could threaten the safety of foods in Japan.
As for the mutual recognition of doctor licenses and the acceptance of unskilled foreign labor under the TPP framework, the government said the topics are not subject to current negotiations by the nine countries involved.
The explanation is apparently aimed at easing concern by TPP opponents about an influx of foreign doctors and foreign manual laborers to Japan if Japan joins the TPP framework.
The government added that the TPP could make it easier for Japanese companies to engage in public works projects overseas but that it could also pose the risk that public works in Japan may be undertaken by foreign companies.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda has said Tokyo would decide on whether to join the TPP negotiations at an early date, as the nine countries involved in the talks aim to reach agreement on a broad outline of the deal in mid-November.
