Free-trade agreements Opening up the Pacific

http://www.economist.com/blogs/banyan/2011/11/free-trade-agreements

MOST Americans have not heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a free-trade area of countries dotted around the Pacific Ocean. They will soon. This weekend it has suddenly emerged as the most promising trade liberalisation initiative since the Doha round of world-trade talks stalled in 2008. On November 11th, Japan, the world’s third-largest economy, announced its intention to join America and eight other countries in negotiating what its advocates hope will emerge as the new gold standard for free trade in the world’s most dynamic economic zone. Reuters reports that if the ten-country deal is concluded, it will cover a market 40% bigger than the European Union. The news has electrified the summit of Asia-Pacific Exporting Countries (APEC) convening in Honolulu this weekend. President Barack Obama, who acts as the meeting’s host, hopes the TPP will be the cornerstone of an APEC-wide free-trade area. With the euro zone in shambles, that would further shift the world’s centre of economic gravity from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific.

There are plenty of reasons for the mood of celebration. After less than three months in office, Yoshihiko Noda, Japan’s prime minister, has made one of his country’s boldest policy decisions in years, which could unleash a chain reaction of reforms in the moribund national economy. His decision may spur other big economies, such as Canada, to make renewed efforts to join the negotiations, which currently include America, Australia, Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. If America and Japan can pull off such a deal, the TPP could challenge China’s own free-trade push in the region, which revolves around the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Korea and Japan, rather than the Pacific Rim. By joining with America, Japan also hopes to influence global technological standards in industries like electric cars and clean energy, rather than having those heavily swayed by China.

There are, however, huge hurdles to overcome in the meantime. Mr Noda’s decision was delayed by a day because of the extent of opposition to trade liberalisation within his own Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ), let alone the opposition. His ambitions threaten to be hijacked by Japan’s farm lobby, which is hugely powerful politically, if of puny economic significance. In announcing the deal, he pandered to his own party’s sensitivities, declaring he would “firmly protect Japan’s world-class medical system, traditional Japanese culture and beautiful farm villages.” Such talk is bound to echo ominously in Honolulu; the other nine TPP countries will have some reservations about letting Japan join the talks. Ron Kirk, America’s Trade Representative, while welcoming Japan’s participation, set out America’s concerns that Japan should be prepared to lower hurdles to competition within farming, services and manufacturing, as well as non-tariff barriers. Congressmen from car-producing states such as Michigan have urged the Obama administration to be cautious in welcoming Japan. Ford, the carmaker, described Japan as “the world’s most protectionist country”, which ships 200 cars to America for every one that is sent to Japan. Montana ranchers also complain about sanitary barriers to imports of American beef.

Considering the situation on the rest of planet.. this makes total sense.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/text/nn20111112a1.html

Japan will join the Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda officially announced Friday night, a day after he delayed making an declaration on the country's stance on the free-trade initiative.

"We decided to join negotiations with member states over the TPP," Noda said at a news conference after meeting with his Cabinet members. "Japan should tap into the growing power of the Asia-Pacific region to hand down to future generations the affluence our country has built up as a trading nation."

Noda said he understands there are many domestic concerns over participating in the initiative, and promised he will protect Japanese agriculture.

"I will firmly protect Japan's world-class medical system, traditional Japanese culture, and beautiful farm villages," he said in an apparent attempt to ease the concerns of farmers, who fiercely oppose the TPP.

Economic Unions = Bilderberg.
Bilderberg = Trilateral Commission
Economic Unions - Trilateral Commission
Bilderberg also equals Council on Foreign Relations IMF World Bank Roundtable etc etc etc

These connections aren't the whole story.

But the main agenda for the way they link to each other will be the loss of nation sovereignty on the way to their one world order.

This article is about the EU and TLC
http://nourishingobscurity.com/2010/03/15/the-trilateral-commission-and-the-eu-part-1/

You can also go directly to their web sites to read what they say about themselves. But you will learn more and learn faster if you read what others say about them first unless you already know

This Pacific Union means they are advancing.

Which Union is next?

More on the EU and its hit = Greece, perhaps joined by Italy?

http://endthelie.com/2011/11/11/smash-and-grab-bilderberg-and-the-trilateral-commission-snatch-greece-and-italy/

If something happens we always try to get both sides of the story.

Sometimes we have to wait for the answer until it is brought to court. There is no court for what is going on with sovereignty.

These aren't the only sites to look at.

Montana ranchers want to send off e-coli ridden products to other parts of the world? Maybe Monsanto wants even more influence in Pacific-Rim with their genetically altered seeds that they have a monopoloy on. And, of course they can all use more military weapons and equipment. Drone sales might even soar since they are so much less expensive than regular "manned" air craft. Even the poorest in the Pacific Rim might cough up for a drone or two. Or, maybe more military bases so that we surround China is the goal...

On and on...and on...

...and it has been working well so far. Public sector employment has dragged the whole works down for two years now, but what has been expanding is private sector employment, manufacturing and exports.

It is such a paradigm shift that some people almost refuse to believe it, and imagine we must always be the suckers on the losing end of trade - but that's not the case.