Tokyo pushes for TPP concessions as Japan-U.S. talks restart JIJI ~~~~~ OCT 10, 2014 Japan and the United States on Friday restarted bilateral talks on sealing the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement. The two countries have been trying for months to achieve a breakthrough on difficult issues, including agricultural tariffs and automobile import restrictions, ahead of a ministerial meeting of all 12 countries involved in the pact in Sydney from Oct. 25 to 27. Participants in the bilateral working-level talks include Hiroshi Oe, Japan’s deputy chief TPP negotiator, Takeo Mori, Japanese ambassador for economic affairs, and Acting Deputy U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler. The talks follow a bilateral ministerial meeting last month that failed to make progress. Japan claimed the U.S. was to blame for the lack of progress, saying they were not fully prepared. This time, Tokyo says it will engage in more in-depth talks starting on Saturday, if it sees signs that the U.S. is ready to make concessions, officials said. Before the meeting began, Oe told reporters that he will pursue a breakthrough, since the meeting represents the last opportunity for a bilateral agreement ahead of the Sydney conference. japantimes.co.jp/news/2014/10/10/business/tokyo-pushes-tpp-concessions-japan-u-s-talks-restart/
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 09:24:11 +0000
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