Japan to study trade pacts with US, S.Korea
Japan said yesterday that it will study a free-trade agreement with the United States and aims to restart trade talks with South Korea, a day after its two trading partners struck a landmark deal.
"We need to study the advantages and problems (of a Japan-US free trade agreement) from the point of view of all Japanese people," said Economy Minister Hiroko Ota.
She said that the Japanese government was awaiting a report from experts on the issue before making a formal decision on whether to start negotiations.
Japanese business lobbies have urged the government to start trade talks with the US but farmers are concerned about the impact on their business.
Japan also signaled its desire to breathe new life into moribund trade talks with South Korea, which on Monday reached a free trade agreement with the United States.
"Japan has continuously appealed to South Korea to reopen negotiations, including at a summit level," said Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki.
"Japan would like to increase its efforts towards South Korea to reopen the (free-trade) negotiations as early as possible," he added.
Working-level talks between Tokyo and Seoul on a bilateral free trade pact have been suspended since November 2004, largely due to South Korea's demands that Japan open up 90 percent of its tightly protected agricultural market.
AFP
(China Daily 04/04/2007 page16)
