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Defining scope of US-Japan free trade agreement talks proves problematic
来源： 编辑：编辑部 发布：2018/11/24 09:53:30
EARLY signs are emerging that defining the scope for a free trade agreement between the US and Japan will be difficult, Asia Society Policy Institute vice president Wendy Cutler revealed during a Centre for Strategic and International Studies panel discussion.
Ms Cutler's discussions with colleagues in Japan indicate that the country, in their view, hasn't agreed to FTA talks but rather a "pretty narrowly scoped negotiation."
She said that the Trump administration is currently consulting with Congress to define the scope of talks as US stakeholders already are requesting negotiations include provisions ranging from digital economy to environment to intellectual property, American Shipper reported.
Furthermore, the joint statement envisions a two-stage negotiation, which could mean that US-Japan bilateral trade talks necessitate two separate congressional votes, Ms Cutler said.
A joint statement published on September 26 said: "The United States and Japan will enter into negotiations, following the completion of necessary domestic procedures, for a United States-Japan Trade Agreement on goods, as well as on other key areas including services, that can produce early achievements."
It said: "The United States and Japan also intend to have negotiations on other trade and investment items following the completion of the discussions of the agreement mentioned above."
As the US agriculture community will watch several other countries gain preferential trade access to the Japanese market when the Trans-Pacific Partnership enters into force on December 30 and when the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement enters into force, expected in 2019, it will incentivise "some kind of early harvest," Ms Cutler said.
The joint statement says that market access outcomes for agricultural, forestry and fishery products reflected in Japan's previous economic partnership agreements constitute the maximum level.
Other issues that could have impacts on the US-Japan talks are administration attempts to push the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) through Congress, US-China trade tensions and ongoing US work towards bilateral trade agreements with the EU and UK, Ms Cutler said.
Language on digital trade and state-run economies would be ripe for US-Japan talks, Ms Cutler added.
US Section 232 tariffs, especially as they could relate to autos from Japan, also will likely be a big issue factoring into talks, as the Trump administration's threat of tariffs was a "prime motivator" for Japan to agree to bilateral talks with the US after it had resisted for a year and a half, Ms Cutler said.
Ms Cutler's discussions with colleagues in Japan indicate that the country, in their view, hasn't agreed to FTA talks but rather a "pretty narrowly scoped negotiation."
She said that the Trump administration is currently consulting with Congress to define the scope of talks as US stakeholders already are requesting negotiations include provisions ranging from digital economy to environment to intellectual property, American Shipper reported.
Furthermore, the joint statement envisions a two-stage negotiation, which could mean that US-Japan bilateral trade talks necessitate two separate congressional votes, Ms Cutler said.
A joint statement published on September 26 said: "The United States and Japan will enter into negotiations, following the completion of necessary domestic procedures, for a United States-Japan Trade Agreement on goods, as well as on other key areas including services, that can produce early achievements."
It said: "The United States and Japan also intend to have negotiations on other trade and investment items following the completion of the discussions of the agreement mentioned above."
As the US agriculture community will watch several other countries gain preferential trade access to the Japanese market when the Trans-Pacific Partnership enters into force on December 30 and when the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement enters into force, expected in 2019, it will incentivise "some kind of early harvest," Ms Cutler said.
The joint statement says that market access outcomes for agricultural, forestry and fishery products reflected in Japan's previous economic partnership agreements constitute the maximum level.
Other issues that could have impacts on the US-Japan talks are administration attempts to push the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) through Congress, US-China trade tensions and ongoing US work towards bilateral trade agreements with the EU and UK, Ms Cutler said.
Language on digital trade and state-run economies would be ripe for US-Japan talks, Ms Cutler added.
US Section 232 tariffs, especially as they could relate to autos from Japan, also will likely be a big issue factoring into talks, as the Trump administration's threat of tariffs was a "prime motivator" for Japan to agree to bilateral talks with the US after it had resisted for a year and a half, Ms Cutler said.