U.S. Govt Notifies Congress of Intent to Allow Japan to Join TPP Talks

Washington, April 24 (Jiji Press)--The U.S. government notified Congress Wednesday of its intent to allow Japan to participate in Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations. Upon the notification, the administration of President Barack Obama will enter 90 days of consultation with Congress and the public on what the United States will seek to achieve through trade negotiations with Japan. After the consultation period ends, Japan will be able to take part in the talks, possibly from a meeting the existing 11 TPP negotiating countries are planning to hold in Malaysia in late July. As the United States, Australia and the other current participating economies aim to conclude a broad liberalization agreement as early as October, the focal point is how strongly Japan, as a late comer, can influence the rule-making process, analysts point out. "The participation of Japan, a major U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increase the economic significance of a TPP agreement," Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios Marantis said in a statement. If many lawmakers raise objections to Japan's participation during the consultation period, the U.S. and Japanese governments may start over their preliminary talks. But for now, only a handful of lawmakers, mainly from the leading vehicle-producing state of Michigan, are opposing Japan's entry. Still, Congress is expected to demand that the Obama administration get tougher on Japan at plenary TPP talks as well as bilateral negotiations to focus on what Washington takes as nontariff barriers in nine business sectors in Japan, people familiar with the matter said. While welcoming Japan's inclusion in the regional trade liberalization talks, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Montana) noted at Wednesday's congressional hearing that Japan still maintains "many barriers to our exports." But the influential senator quickly added that "when the third largest economy in the world removes those barriers, tremendous opportunities are created." END