The Philippines is likely to suspend its tariff-elimination commitments for Japanese vehicles and auto parts under the two countries’ economic partnership agreement starting in January, as the government still needs to determine if the “increased investment” that Japan promised has indeed come in already.
Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and Peruvian President Alan Garcia have agreed to move forward on an economic partnership agreement that is being negotiated and to strengthen bilateral cooperation in assisting small and midsize firms.
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada said Friday that Japan must feed political will to break the country's rigidity that has been seen in some of its talks with other economies for trade and investment liberalization.
Leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum will set Japan, the next APEC chair, the task of identifying ways for the 21-member grouping to create a free trade bloc in the future, according to a draft statement they are expected to issue at their Nov. 14 to 15 summit in Singapore.
The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) in Taipei is calling for an FTA between the two sides, despite the fact that Japan, like most countries, officially recognizes Beijing instead of Taipei
Whichever FTA is signed first -- Japan's or the EU's -- will put pressure on the other pair of negotiators to reach pragmatic compromises. The race for India is on.
John Key will make a bold pitch for a free-trade agreement between Japan and New Zealand when he meets Japan's Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama late tonight in Tokyo.
East Asian nations (ASEAN+3: China, Japan, Korea) are to carry out a feasibility study for a huge free trade zone, officials said at a summit Saturday. A separate study for a wider economic partnership also covering India, Australia and New Zealand (ASEAN+6) would be carried out in tandem.
Japan and Australia outlined competing visions for an East Asian trade bloc during a 16- nation summit in Thailand, offering plans that differ on what role the US will play.