Posted March 18, 2014
Trade talks ended on Tuesday with no breakthrough for
the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would create the largest free-trade zone
in history, linking key Asian-Pacific economies with Canada, the U.S., Mexico,
Peru, and Chile, according to an article by Reuters available here.
Japan and the United States have been unable to find
common ground on issues including tariffs for agricultural products and vehicle
exports. Japan opposes a U.S. request to
remove protective agriculture tariffs on foreign grains, meat, sugar, and dairy
products.
The U.S. opposes removing sugar import tariffs and
quotas that would harm American sugar beet farmers.
Participants remain optimistic while
recognizing that these issues are significant.
“While some issues remain, we have charted a path forward to resolve
them in the context of a comprehensive and balanced outcome,” the countries’
trade chiefs said in a joint statement at the end of the 20th round
of TPP talks going on since 2011.
While a date has not been set for the next round of
negotiations, President Barack Obama is scheduled to visit Japan in April
during a regional tour and will discuss the TPP with Japanese Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe.
During the negotiations, U.S. agricultural
organizations and legislators urged the Obama administration and negotiators to
oppose Japan’s protection of key agricultural products like wheat, pork, beef,
and dairy, according to a Capital Press article available here.
Japan’s protective measures would open the door for
other countries to protect their products from free trade, putting pressure on
global food prices, says Nick Giordano, vice president and counsel for
international affairs for the National Pork Producers Council.
Japan’s proposal would have exempted hundreds of
products, totaling nearly 600 tariff lines.
“The number of tariff lines Japan seeks to exempt from tariff
elimination exceeds by almost three times the total number of tariff lines
exempted in all 17 U.S. free trade agreements combined implemented in this
century.”
For more information on international trade, please
visit the National Agricultural Law Center’s website here.
