ISDS Case Map
Japan
Japan is likely to pursue free-trade agreements with China and India as well as Australia to give it more clout in a proposed East Asian community, a leading Japanese daily reported on Tuesday.
Indonesia could lose US$400 million in potential export revenues per year if it does not establish a free trade agreement (FTA) with Japan, while most other ASEAN members have done so to complement the region's own free market in 2010, a study shows.
Japanese Ambassador to Bahrain, Takao Natsume, said his government has proposed an FTA to GCC governments but has yet to schedule the beginning of negotiations. "The main stumbling blocks with previous free trade agreements we have been involved in were in the area of agriculture and since the GCC countries are not huge agriculture producers, we don't see this as a problem here," he said.
Japanese fruit producers and exporters have called for their Thai counterparts to upgrade sanitary and food safety standards if they want to succeed in promoting Thai fruit consumption in Japan.
Vietnam and Japan yesterday concluded bilateral negotiations over the former's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) while agreeing to hold preliminary talks on a bilateral free-trade agreement (FTA).
Japan plays a key role in promoting economic integration in Southeast Asia by helping to narrow the gap between developed and less developed countries in the region, scholars from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations told a recent symposium in Tokyo.
South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun and leaders of the 10 ASEAN countries, Japan and China held a one-day "ASEAN Plus Three Summit" in the Malaysian capital on Monday and adopted a joint statement calling for redoubled efforts for the formation of the so-called East Asia free trade agreement.
Japan and Vietnam agreed Friday to begin full-fledged negotiations on a bilateral free trade agreement as soon as necessary conditions are met, Japan's trade minister said.
The Japan-Malaysia Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will boost trade and investment, improve competitiveness and advance Tokyo-Kuala Lumpur economic relations to a new stage, says Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Japan said Saturday it had agreed to accelerate negotiations on separate free-trade pacts with Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines in meetings held ahead of the inaugural East Asia Summit.
