Agriculture Sacrificed

Since it had been recognized as preferable for Japanese economy as a whole, nationally circulated newspapers welcomed the agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership in their reports. However, the deal had fatal impact for local farmers or ranchers, while car exporters accepted it with expectation for hopeful future. One question is whether Japan can survive only on exporting machines, leaving food production behind.

According to the announcement of Japanese government, Japan accepted non-tariff special quota for importing rice from United States and Australia. The quota will initially be 50,000 tons for U.S. and 6,000 tons for Australia, and be increased up to 70,000 tons and 8,400 tons thirteen years later. Dismissing U.S. request to set importing mandate, actual amount of importing rice will be determined by consumers’ market.

Tariff on beef will gradually be reduced from current 38.5% to 9% sixteen years later. Safeguard against abrupt increase of beef import will be abolished, if it will not be invoked for four years after sixteen years will have passed from now. Tariff on low-priced pork meat will be reduced from ¥482 per kilogram to ¥50 ten years later, and that on high-priced pork will be abolished then. As on beef, safeguard on pork will be removed twelve years ago.

Japan will have to import at least 60,000 tons of butter and skimmed milk powder and 70,000 tons or more six years later. Tariff on cheddar or gouda cheese will be abolished seventy years later, while that on mozzarella or camembert cheese will remain. On wheat, new special importing quota will be introduced, while tariff will be maintained.

Prime Minister praised the agreement in the greatest regional free-trade framework. “Reaching conclusion was a great achievement for the future of not only Japan but also Asia-Pacific,” Abe told reporters in Tokyo. The deal can politically be interpreted as an effective countermeasure against still growing Asian economic giant, China.

However, TPP may cause a fatal damage on Japanese agriculture. Hokkaido Shimbun, circulated in Hokkaido Island where highly specialized to agriculture, livestock or dairy farming, ran an editorial headlined “Can’t See Future of Agriculture.” It argued that Japanese agriculture was sacrificed through the negotiation. For farmers, the result of TPP negotiation was nothing but a betrayal, violating Diet resolution not to allow abolishment on tariff on five important agricultural products including rice, beef, pork, or dairy products.

The greatest issue after TPP deal will be how Japanese government can maintain domestic agriculture in the context of national food security. For Liberal Democratic Party that has long been supported by local farmers, agricultural policy will be a key element for next national election.