ISDS Case Map
Japan
With farmers like Saito outnumbered by those who fear opening up Japan's farm market, Prime Minister Noda must face down opposition inside his Democratic Party of Japan if he is to tell US President Barack Obama that Tokyo wants to join the talks when they meet at a Nov. 12-13 Asia-Pacific summit in Hawaii.
Thousands of Japanese farmers marched through central Tokyo on Wednesday to push the government not to join a regional free trade pact that will likely hit the nation's small farmers.
Agricultural and medical groups in Japan have held rallies to oppose the country's participation in the talks for a free trade agreement in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Japanese government is trying to accelerate its decision on whether to join multilateral negotiations for a Pacific-wide trade pact while compiling a package to support the nation's farmers, who fear being inundated by cheap imports if Japan decides to enter the pact.
With participation in Trans-Pacific Partnership comprehensive trade talks and resumption of an economic partnership agreement with Australia on the horizon, the Japanese government is likely to increase its direct payments to farmers by several hundred billion yen, it has been learned.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and South Korean President Lee Myung Bak agreed Wednesday to speed up working-level talks to resume bilateral free trade negotiations.
The Japanese 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 Philippines is expected to call for a comprehensive review of its free trade agreement with Japan to put the country in a better position, but such move should not be in conflict with Japan’s stance that the review should only focus on further liberalizing this bilateral trade agreement.
Japanese and U.S. business leaders on Friday jointly urged the government to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade talks soon, as the nine countries involved in the multilateral free trade framework aim to reach agreement on a broad outline in November.
Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda on Thursday agreed with his British counterpart David Cameron that the two countries will step up their efforts to realize a free trade agreement between Japan and the European Union.
