US - Japan Free Trade Agreement

Summary of the U.S. - Japan FTA

Background to the Negotiations:

In 2018, the United States announced that it would be starting talks with Japan to accomplish a free trade agreement. According to news releases, the talks are progressing rapidly.

In 2017, the United States declined to participate in the broad TransPacific Trade Partnership (TPP). Those other countries moved into the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) without the United States. (Those countries are Canada and 10 countries from the Asia-Pacific region: Australia, Brunei, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.) The FTA with Japan is hoped to accomplish much of the same, but on possible better terms than would have been achieved for the USA under the TPP. (Japan and the EU are of course on the largest democratic trading partners that the US does not have a free trade agreement with.)

CURATED NEWS ON THE USMCA & NAFTA

August 26, 2019: USTR: Japan FTA: Announcement of core principles across agriculture, industrial tariffs, and digital trade. (The US exports over $14 Billion in agricultural products annually to Japan.)

July 18, 2019: USTR: Statement to Congress that trade deal with Japan is likely to develop in phases, with agriculture coming first.

June 19, 2019: USTR & Treasury Secretary to meet China's team in Japan before Trump- Xi G-20 summit meeting.

May 29, 2018: POTUS: "trade-wise, I think we will be announcing some things, probably in August.”

May 29, 2019: Japan is planning to buy more than 100 U.S.-made F-35 aircraft. Article

May 28, 2019: Whitehouse: Joint Statement: PM Shinzo Abe agrees to accelerate talks.

May 28, 2019: POTUS: there will be a trade announcement with Japan "very, very soon"

May 27, 2019: POTUS meets with Shino Abe.

May, 2019: Agreement for Japan to open up to U.S. beef.

October 25, 2018: USTR: Solicitation for negotiating objectives in U.S.-Japan FTA.

September 26, 2018: Whitehouse: Joint statement of US and Japan on FTA.

August 13, 2018: USTR: USTR announces talks in September with Japan on trade. Reuters summary.