英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun December 11, 2013
Final TPP accord postponed due to conflict between Japan, U.S.
ＴＰＰ交渉　日米対立が招いた合意先送り（12月11日付・読売社説）

As participating countries failed to reconcile a variety of conflicts, including one between Japan and the United States, an accord on creating a new free trade zone in Asia and the Pacific region has been postponed till next year. A rough road lies ahead for the negotiations.
　日米などの対立が解けず、アジア太平洋地域での新たな自由貿易圏作りの合意は、来年に先送りされた。交渉の前途は多難である。

A ministerial meeting of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade talks ended in Singapore on Tuesday.
　シンガポールで開かれていた環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉の閣僚会合が閉幕した。

Japan, the United States, Australia and nine other nations in the talks abandoned their goal of reaching an accord by the end of this year, which they originally hoped for. The countries will continue intensive discussions and hold a ministerial meeting again in January, they said in a joint statement issued after the meeting.
　日米、豪州など１２か国は、当初目指した年内妥結を断念し、「交渉の妥結に向けて集中的に作業を続ける。閣僚会合を１月に開く」との声明を発表した。

As the administration of U.S. President Barack Obama had given the highest priority to reaching a final accord within this year, U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman continued pressing Japan and emerging countries on tariff elimination and market liberalization.
　オバマ米政権は年内合意を最優先し、フロマン通商代表が、日本や新興国に関税撤廃や市場開放を求める圧力をかけ続けた。

But it is difficult to settle negotiations on issues on which the participants’ interests are complexly tangled. It can be said the latest talks highlighted the reality that the talks will not proceed as Washington hoped.
　しかし、参加国の利害が複雑に絡み合う交渉のとりまとめは難しい。米国の思惑通りに進まない現実を浮き彫りにしたと言える。

In particular, the conflict between Japanese and U.S. interests became clear. There is no denying that the conflict between the two countries may have held up negotiations as a whole.
　とくに鮮明になったのが日米両国の対立だった。全体の交渉も停滞させた印象が否めない。

Sticking points

The Liberal Democratic Party has been asserting that rice, wheat and barley, and three other sensitive agricultural products should be regarded as “sanctuaries” exempt from tariff elimination. Bearing this in mind, Japan rejected the U.S. call for full tariff elimination, with no exceptions.
　自民党はコメ、麦など農産品５項目を関税撤廃の聖域扱いとするよう主張している。これを踏まえた日本は、全品目の関税撤廃を求める米国の要求を拒否した。

Instead, Japan reportedly proposed, as a concession, to the U.S. side that it would raise its liberalization rate—the percentage of trade items that will be tariff-free—to about 95 percent. But the United States reportedly rejected the proposal.
　その代わり、全品目のうち関税撤廃に応じる自由化率を約９５％に引き上げる譲歩案を提示した模様だが、米国は拒んだという。

On the other hand, Washington, which aims at expanding sales of U.S. automobiles in Japan, called on Tokyo to ease regulations on vehicle safety and environmental standards. But Japan steadily refused.
　一方、米国車の販売拡大を目指す米国が日本市場での自動車の安全や環境の基準緩和を求めた点では、日本が拒否を続けた。

With midterm elections slated for next November, the Obama administration, which wants to showcase a final TPP accord as its achievement, is not in a position to make easy compromises.
　来年１１月の中間選挙を控え、ＴＰＰ合意を成果としてアピールしたいオバマ政権には、安易に妥協できない事情があるのだろう。

Yet Japan needs to proactively tap into the vitality of fast-growing Asian economies and fuel its own growth, rather than merely maintaining a defensive stance.
　だが、日本も守りに徹するだけでなく、成長著しいアジアの活力を取り込み、成長に弾みをつける攻めの姿勢が必要である。

While trying to reinforce the international competitiveness of agriculture, a sector Japan has been called on to liberalize further, the government must make a strategic plan to promote free trade, centering around the TPP.
　一層の市場開放を求められる農業の競争力強化を図りつつ、ＴＰＰを軸に自由貿易を推進する戦略を練らなければならない。

Fierce conflicts between the United States and such emerging economies as Malaysia and Vietnam over the protection of intellectual property rights and competition policies can also be cited as reasons why the participating countries gave up on the final accord in Singapore.
　シンガポールでの妥結を断念した一因として、知的財産権や競争政策を巡り、米国と、マレーシア、ベトナムなど新興国が激しく対立した事情も挙げられる。

The conflicts among the 12 countries are deep-rooted, so there is little cause for optimism that they will be able to reach an accord at next month’s ministerial meeting. The major focus will be how flexibly the United States can respond to other countries’ assertions.
　１２か国の対立は根深く、１月の閣僚会合での決着は楽観できない。米国がどこまで柔軟に対応できるかが最大の焦点になろう。

Meanwhile, South Korea’s next moves deserve close attention, as that country has made clear its intention to participate in the TPP.
　注視すべきは、ＴＰＰへの参加意向を表明した韓国の動きだ。

For South Korea to join the negotiations, it needs to win the approval of the 12 participating countries. That could happen as early as the spring. Before that happens, Japan needs to take the lead in formulating the trade rules and aim to reach an early accord to best take advantage of having already been a member.
　韓国の合流には１２か国の同意が必要で、早くても来春になるが、日本はその前に貿易ルール作りを主導して早期妥結を図り、先行メリットを生かしたい。

Japan must demonstrate tough bargaining power in pursuit of its national interests.
　国益の追求へ、したたかな交渉力が日本に求められる。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 11, 2013)
（2013年12月11日01時43分 読売新聞）