US-Japan TPP Negotiations Rages On

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US-Japan TPP negotiations resumed on 4/9 and 4/10 between USTR Michael Froman & his Japanese counterpart SEFP Minister Akira Amari in Tokyo.

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Japan and Australia agreed on their EPA negotiations on 4/7. Japan wants to apply a similar strategy with its TPP negotiations with the US.

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Rather than removing the tariffs completely (which the US wants) Japan may now be willing to lower the tariffs gradually over many years.

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Talks between Froman and Amari are scheduled to resume in Washington in mid-April. Although US and Japan are aiming to finalize their talks

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during Obama's 4/23-25 Japan visit, realistically speaking, reaching a comprehensive agreement on TPP may take many more months due to the

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the US mid term elections in 2014/11. The TPP negotiations involve 12 counties. Of which, the US and Japanese economies are the two biggest.

Mori-O'hara | Sato @MoriOharaSato

lack of pace in Washington. It is quite possible that Capitol Hill won't be able to finalize their internal talks regarding TPP until after