Japan, U.S. plan agenda for ministerial TPP talks

Working-level officials of Japan and the United States held a teleconference Saturday to narrow down trade topics for a bilateral ministerial meeting next week on the Trans-Pacific Partnership pact.

The trade meeting, to be held in Washington on Tuesday and Wednesday, will be attended by Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Akira Amari and U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman.

The focus will be on whether Tokyo and Washington can solve their disagreements on how to treat five farm product categories protected by Japan, including beef and pork.

The biggest issue will be whether the two sides can find a common ground on conditions for Japan to invoke emergency restrictions on U.S. beef if imports surge after Japan cuts tariffs, informed sources said.

Japanese deputy chief TPP negotiator Hiroshi Oe and Acting Deputy USTR Wendy Cutler took part in Saturday’s teleconference, which lasted about 2½ hours.

Oe told reporters after the teleconference that he and Cutler talked about issues for the ministerial meeting and said further discussions are necessary.

Both Japan and the United States are key players in the TPP talks, and the course of their discussions is thus believed to be key to completing the pact.

Source: Japan Times