[CTC] Factbox: Details of U.S. deal to let Japan into Pacific trade talks

[Arthur Stamoulis]

For the USTR fact sheet Toward the Trans-Pacific Partnership: U.S.  
Consultations with Japan please click here.

For the USTR fact sheet on Non-Tariff Measures: U.S. Consultations  
with Japan please click here.

USTR  NEWS
UNITED STATES TRADE REPRESENTATIVE
www.ustr.gov               Washington, D.C. 20508          202-395-3230


For Immediate Release:                                 
Contact:                                              Andrea Mead
April 12,  
2013 
                                                                                                                      amead 
@ustr.eop.gov

STATEMENT BY ACTING U.S. TRADE REPRESENTATIVE DEMETRIOS MARANTIS
REGARDING JAPAN AND THE TRANS-PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP

Washington, D.C. – Today, Acting U.S. Trade Representative Demetrios  
Marantis announced that the United States has completed its bilateral  
consultations with Japan regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP):

“Since November 2011, the United States has been engaged in  
consultations with Japan focused on Japan’s readiness to meet the  
TPP's high standards for liberalizing trade and investment, and to  
address specific bilateral issues of concern in the automotive and  
insurance sectors, as well as other Japanese non-tariff measures.

“The United States and Japan have successfully completed these  
consultations by concluding a robust package of actions and agreements  
with Japan in the automotive and insurance sectors, as well as other  
non-tariff measures.  As a result, we are pleased to welcome Japan’s  
participation in the TPP negotiations pending a consensus agreement  
among the current TPP members and the completion of our respective  
domestic processes.  Japan’s entry into this important initiative for  
the Asia-Pacific region will help it to deliver significant economic  
benefits to the United States, Japan and the Asia-Pacific region."

Through the TPP, the United States and 10 other Asia-Pacific countries  
are seeking to negotiate an ambitious, next-generation, regional trade  
agreement.  The TPP will support American jobs and reflect core U.S.  
values, and the addition of Japan will further distinguish TPP as the  
most promising platform for a Free Trade Area of the Asia Pacific.   
Decisions on new members are made by consensus of current TPP members.

Detailed information about the United States’ consultations with Japan  
can be found here.  During consultations, on February 22, 2013, the  
two Governments issued a Joint Statement confirming that if Japan were  
to join the TPP, Japan would subject all goods to negotiation and join  
the current members in achieving a comprehensive, high-standard  
agreement.

The letter from Ambassador Sasae to Ambassador Marantis is available  
here, along with the attached Motor Vehicle Trade Terms of Reference  
here.  The letter from Ambassador Marantis to Ambassador Sasae is  
available here.

###
  
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20130412/00402c83/attachment-0003.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 2908 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.citizenstrade.org/pipermail/ctcfield-citizenstrade.org/attachments/20130412/00402c83/attachment.jpg>