LDP Urges Caution in Japan’s EPA Talks with Mercosur

Tokyo, July 7 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party has urged agriculture minister Norikazu Suzuki to consider the impact on the country’s agricultural and livestock production when negotiating an economic partnership agreement with the Mercosur trade bloc in South America. Ichiro Miyashita, secretary-general of the LDP’s Headquarters for Economic Partnership Agreements, and others made the request in a meeting with Suzuki at the agriculture ministry on Monday. Miyashita urged the minister to start negotiations with Mercosur “with a firm determination never to conclude an agreement that would damage Japan’s national interests,” noting the South American bloc’s high production capacity for livestock products and sugar. Suzuki responded that the ministry “will work as a whole so that food security and economic security can be achieved at the same time.” Last month, the Japanese government decided to begin EPA negotiations with Mercosur. Following this, the LDP drew up a resolution stating that, while negotiations with the bloc to diversify supply chains for energy and mineral resources are becoming increasingly important, an EPA could have a catastrophic impact on Japanese agricultural and livestock production depending on how the talks unfold. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]