TPP Negotiations: No Need to Fuss over a Summer Agreement

http://watchingamerica.com/News/239939/tpp-negotiations-no-need-to-fuss-over-a-summer-agreement/

There is no need to hurry in our cozying up to America.

TPP Negotiations: No Need to Fuss over a Summer Agreement
Kahoku Shimpo, Japan
Translated By Taylor Cazella
25 May 2014
Edited by Kyrstie Lane

A meeting will be commenced in July among top negotiation officials to approach a settlement and determine a path to discuss challenges — beginning with, but not limited to, the sphere of access to market goods and tariffs. Akira Amari, the official in charge of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), said that this meeting will be a “hugely crucial point.”*

~snip~

Because of entanglements in the coming election, Congress has not entrusted the Obama administration with negotiations by providing Trade Promotion Authority (TPA). As it stands now, even if negotiations conclude, it is possible that Congress will oppose and overturn the decision without this authority.

Even if the U.S. makes concessions to arrive at an agreement, it is possible that it could all go to waste. This concern is also present among other participating nations, and can be considered the main reason why overall negotiations are not taking off. Minister of Finance Taro Aso, who took part in a Japan-U.S. leadership conference, said that currently, Obama likely doesn't have the strength needed to consolidate all of the U.S. domestically, and the viewpoint that it will be quite difficult to arrive at a conclusion before midterm elections is not far off the mark.

Starting with the aforementioned five agricultural products, those which the national Diet has requested be treated as “sacred” should be protected. And with that engraved firmly in our hearts, we have to carefully regard the present condition of the U.S. government.