Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Are you in favor of a trans-Pacific free trade accord between Japan the United States?

Poll Jan. 24, 2011 - 02:23AM JST ( 21 )

Order by Time Order by Popularity

21 Comments

0

Xeno23Jan. 24, 2011 - 03:08AM JST

"Free Trade" is a nice idea, but it's only really "Free" if it's between equals that mutually benefit; this is rarely the case. Typically it's one side pushing the other to reduce or eliminate protectionist trade policies. The question is who's pushing for it. I don't think we have to consider the question too deeply to know which side it is in this case.

It's every governments duty to insure the prosperity and health of its own industries and citizens, so if a trade policy undermines that, the government isn't really doing its job. But, any side pushing for "Free Trade" when faced with protectionist policies is also "doing its job", which makes the whole thing a difficult situation - it would seem there is no single "right" answer.

The only thing that can be applied as a measure is the fairness of the agreement. If one side is subordinate to another, can it really be said to be in everyone's best interests? I'm glad I'm not a politician!
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TheQuestionJan. 24, 2011 - 07:11AM JST

I always answer yes by default to questions like this. Free trade could improve the lives of everybody, to bad nobody actively engages in it. Not just of goods but of information and customs as well. If ideas and product were free to flow to all people in the world it would be a much different place, for better or worse.

As far as free trade between Japan and the U.S I'd contend that both sides could benefit from better access to each others markets.

It's every governments duty to insure the prosperity and health of its own industries and citizens, so if a trade policy undermines that, the government isn't really doing its job.

That's up for debate, I believe government should exist purely for the defense of my choice in how to best use my life and my property. They need not look after my health, my retirement, or my prosperity if there is any to be had. Freedom doesn't mean security and it doesn't mean happiness, it just allows one to pursue such things to their hearts content.

You can't do drugs because they're bad for you, you can't smoke tobacco because someone else might get sick, you can't drink alcohol because of how the government interprets Sharia, you can't own a firearm because you might be a psychopath, you can't access the internet because you might find something unflattering about the government, and the list goes on.
0

sengoku38Jan. 24, 2011 - 11:20AM JST

Free trade is a terrible idea for Japan. Japan CANNOT compete with cheap labor from Mexican illegals in the US. Just say NO!!
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porterJan. 24, 2011 - 02:29PM JST

TPP is good for all industries in Japan except farming. Japan arguably makes better autos than the US but there is a 20% levy on Japanese cars entering the US. Japan can also compete on technology components and do well.

Agriculture will lose in Japan. Rice made in California comes from the same seed as Japan thus tastes same but will cost 700% less than current subsidised doemstic rice. Either way, who is farming in Japan? Mostly old people so what happens to the industry in 20 years anyway. Well, Japan will still have its base of quality. Example; Japanese strawberries or apples are superior to those of the US. The cheap US stuff will enter the market after TPP and many will buy them but many will also pay more for the quality fruits that are grown in Japan.

I just hope Japan pushes for strict laws against food perservatives ie chemicals. Pesticide companies in the US have a strong lobby.
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JunnamaJan. 24, 2011 - 02:48PM JST

Japan is such a notorious non tariff barrier user I'm not sure anyone would want to be in an fta with them...
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rajakumarJan. 24, 2011 - 10:07PM JST

Many nations in world,from those that exports 1000-2000 billion USD. To tiny nations,in pacific which export little or zero.

Everyone is doing okay,rich exporter ,to no exports nation. Iron out the issues,go for free trade deals,one nation at time.

Considering all the issues ,pros and cons before making trade deals with nations.

Rock the boat to changes,but keep the passenger citizens satisfied.
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CruzControlJan. 25, 2011 - 04:19AM JST

Where is the Yes and No option?
0

noriyosan73Jan. 26, 2011 - 10:07AM JST

It is curious that there are so many yes votes. Are the yes votes from Americans or Japanese? Most Americans feel that American products have extremely high tarifs, i.e. American car imports and local registration, whereas Japanese cars are considered the same as American cars in the USA, especially when the cars are made in the USA. Rice, produce, meat, beverages and other products from the USA are as high as the Japanese products to protect the Japanese. Look at any local American grocery store weekly sale sheets on-line from any American grocery store, then compare with the local Japanese grocery store.
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GWJan. 26, 2011 - 08:12PM JST

Earth to JT, in case you dont know there is like about 8 other countries involved in the TPP not just the US LOL!
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BadseyJan. 27, 2011 - 09:50PM JST

Instead of "free trade" it should be "fair trade" and what is important to the Japanese people. Work on balanced trade also -when trade is not in balance with another country the Gov should work on balancing that trade.

Many items should not be imported due to the toxic/harmful substances involved. BSE beef, toxins in many Chinese items.
0

Pukey2Jan. 27, 2011 - 10:44PM JST

Why should the Japanese farmers (especially those growing rice) be afraid? The Japanese all proclaim how superior their rice is. Most wouldn't buy foreign rice in the first place. But please, give the rest of us the choice to buy other types of rice.
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888naffJan. 27, 2011 - 10:47PM JST

If they do, I hope it doesn't have too much of a negative impact on Japanese food, diet and health; especially when they are famous for that.
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SeiharinokazeJan. 29, 2011 - 04:23PM JST

Japan's is a free economy. Its tariffs for industrial goods are already fairly low. Will America buy more industrial goods from Japan after joining TPP when America intends to increase export by continuing an quantitative easing policy and depreciating dollar? For technical/manufacturing industries, tariffs are not a big concern anymore. Just depreciate your currency to increase your export. And Japanese auto makers have factories in the States too. So, first and foremost it's to pry open the agricultural market of this country so that cheap made-in-America food can come in abundance to devastate the domestic agriculture and deepen deflation still further. TPP is a sign of the weak-brained Japanese spaniel government fawning again on the master without thinking about its own safety net.
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GWJan. 29, 2011 - 10:24PM JST

seiharinokaze,

First of the US & about 8 other countries are already getting this on, they have invited Jpn to join or not, Jpns choice, but there will be consequences for saying no, as there shud be. Jpn has coddled their farmers for far far too long & doing absolutely NOTHING to make farming here more efficient, if they did Jpn wud be in better shape, 100% Jpns own fault.

The above and frankly the world is caring less & less about Jpn, its a declining market, foreign petroleum companies are bailing on Jpn & they are already established pretty well here, says a LOT!

Bottom line is Jpn shud improve its own agricultural industry even if this TPP didnt exist, but no it continues to drag its a$$ & do nothing, Jpn lately is its own worst enemy
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888naffJan. 30, 2011 - 09:56AM JST

"The above and frankly the world is caring less & less about Jpn, its a declining market, foreign petroleum companies are bailing on Jpn & they are already established pretty well here, says a LOT!"

yeah says its too easy to sell out to profits over service.
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GWJan. 30, 2011 - 01:39PM JST

888naf

Companies arent charities unfortunately, the writing was on the wall regarding oil/gas in Jpn, the investment in new & maintaining infrastructure isnt worth it, this is a macro scale thing here, I expect more of this & more stuff on a micro scale to be doing similar analysis regarding Jpn, hell look at rakuten, they too realize the future for them isnt here, its shrinking
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SeiharinokazeJan. 30, 2011 - 03:33PM JST

GW,

If the world, as you say, is caring less and less about Japan a declining market whose export accounts for only 20% of its GDP, why does the U.S. urge Japan to join? As you may know, Japan and the U.S. account for more than 90% of the total GDP of the member countries if the two join. It's practically a FTA between Japan and the U.S.

Japan's food self sufficiency rate is 40% on calorie basis. The lowest among the developed countries. It means Japan which "has coddled their farmers for far too long and doing absolutely nothing to make farming here more efficient" has actually opened up its food market most openly to the world. The farm products such as rice, wheat and sugarcane on which heavy duties are levied account only for 10% of the total imported farm produce. The other 90% are not so highly tariffed. Yea true Japan should improve its own agricultural industry. But the bottom line is TPP is an excuse for large farming countries to rush Japan into opening ad hoc its rice/wheat/beef market. They do care and very shrewdly.
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m5c32Jan. 30, 2011 - 03:58PM JST

by continuing an quantitative easing policy and depreciating dollar?

That's some irony. Quantitative easing was something the BoJ did. If you were to check a basket of currencies in 2008 (pre crash) and now, you'd see most are weaker vis a vis the dollar (a few are stronger) but overall they are about the same. That seriously makes your claim dubious. Quantitative easing by the US is a myth. Look at the exchange rates over the last two years. Is the USD weaker against most well known world currencies? On average the answer is no.
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SeiharinokazeJan. 30, 2011 - 06:38PM JST

How do you call the system in technical terms that the Treasury Department issues bonds and the central bank buys them? Isn't it a sort of legalized (or illegal technically?) self-deception? But anyway the U.S. intends to depreciate dollar. G20 last October in South Korea agreed to evade currency war in which they try to expand export by depreciation of its own currencies. (Which means everybody wants to depreciate its currency actually.) Since then the main currencies (euro, real, renminbi, yen) are rising against dollar. Well, I desist from saying about what happened between yen and dollar in the last 35 years, but do you really think that dollar will not be weaker against most well known other world currencies in future? As for TPP in question, to take into consideration the trend of dollar depreciation and required abolition of all tariffs, I think it's obvious which country of the two Japan or the U.S. will gain in the foreseeable future.
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GWJan. 31, 2011 - 10:57AM JST

seiharinokaze,

for christs sake man Jpn has been scamming the world for decades, they only allow easy import for produce/meat which they NEED or dont produce, try importing grapefruit, no problem Jpn doesnt grow them at least not in any quantitty, try apples tho & you get the story about foreign fungus etc, ditto for rice, beef( and look at how bad the Jpn poultry & pork is doing outbreaks are a regular occurance).

So I say so what if other countries want to sell Jpn their beef, rice etc, of course they dod oh! But Jpn is the pro at keeping tarrifs up on rice & many non-tarrif barriers on other products, they have to go or be left at a disadvantage with its exports, Jpn just no longer has the power it did in the 80-90s, and its still heading downwards so the rest of the world is going to be less likely to kowtow to Jpn as its leverage is disappearing at quite a rate
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m5c32Jan. 31, 2011 - 03:28PM JST

http://bit.ly. /hL3uO7 (remove the space btwn the dot and the slash)

Let's say QE 1 began in Sept '08, let's use Jun as a nice place to start and Jan 28 this year as end.

Euro /Dollar Jun 08 =.62; Euro /Dollar Jan 28 =.72 (USD stronger) JPY /USD Jn 2, 08 =105; JPY /USD Jan 28 =82 (USD weaker) CHY /USD Jn 2, 08 =6.9; CNY /USD Jan 28 =6.6 (USD slightly weaker) GBP /USD Jn 2, 2008 =.51; GBP /USD Jan 28 =.63 (USD stronger) CHF /USD Jn 2, 2008 =1.04; CHF /USD Jan 28 =.94 (USD weaker)

I mean, I don't know what you're talking about when you say the US is devaluing its currency. That's meaningless without context. Yes, the US is making it easier to borrow money by buying languishing bonds from the banks --they want to avoid what happened to Japan in the 90's, ironically, by using a financial tool invented in Japan. And now used in many of the OECDs.

Anyhow, to say the USD is weaker is dishonest. Pull up some charts before the "easing" in Sept of 08, and look at the forex rates today. On balance, the USD is about the same as it was before the first "easing".