Japan Press Weekly

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2011 February 9 - 15 [ECONOMY]

TPP leads to free-trade of people, goods, money: JCP Yoshii

Japanese Communist Party representative Yoshii Hidekatsu on February 10 at a Lower House Budget Committee meeting argued that the TPP free-trade pact will remove not only tariff-barriers but also restrictions and standards set to protect Japanese people’s health and safety.

Taking up the field of the labor market, Yoshii pointed out that the TPP will “enable foreign workers to enter the labor market in Japan” in addition to professional careers such as in nursing, and that this will likely “function as a pressure to lower the wages of Japanese workers, having a bad impact on people’s lives.”

However, State Minister in Charge of National Strategy Genba Koichiro in response to Yoshii said, “I don’t know much about that topic.”

Yoshii also pointed out that the TPP will, in the meantime, require Japan to lift even regulations on sanitary and plant quarantine, financial products, and in environmental impact.

Yoshii presented U.S. documents calling on Japan to shorten the period of approval for drugs and medical devices and to simplify approval procedures for food additives. He asked, “Does the government look to join the TPP to place more importance on U.S. medical equipment makers and U.S. drug firms than the Japanese people’s health and safety?”

Genba replied, “I can’t explain the documents in detail.”

The U.S.-led tariff-free economy is “aimed at creating a favorable environment for large U.S. corporations, U.S. financial speculators, major U.S. grain companies, and the Japanese business giants to develop together trans-nationally,” Yoshii stated.

Genba responded, “We will give careful consideration when it comes to the people’s lives and well-being,” but stopped short of denying the intent for free cross-border dealing in people, goods, and money.