Trade pact praised by Trump not done deal, at least for Japan

I have been saying all along, the the GM, Ford etc come and open the car showroooms here. There is no impediments in doing so. The Germans are doing it. They are also free to sell their cars here. And lets see how they compete. This bullying of Japan must stop. Its time Japan gets some politicians who are bold enough to say the truth

But Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan's top negotiator, said its concessions are no larger than those under the revised TPP and other FTAs.

yep so why the need for the master negotiator to pull out of the TPP in the first place.

I really hope that former PM and China-friendly Hatoyama is working behind the scene to hook Japan up with China. China is obviously the future. The US is the past.

I will be 81. in 16 years. I guess the Japanese tariff on American beef is super high. What about on Aussie Beef...which does not compare in taste and texture to American beef?

38.5 percent tariff on beef imports to Japan will be lowered in stages to 9 percent in the 16th year

Plus, it is not just being allowed to import at a cheaper price, it is also on how the meat will be cut. I find it so upsetting when you come across a good looking steak, but the cut is so wrong physically. I would love to be able to by a 2" thick steak to bbq...not a 1cm thick steak.

 have been saying all along, the the GM, Ford etc come and open the car showroooms here. There is no impediments in doing so. The Germans are doing it. They are also free to sell their cars here. And lets see how they compete. This bullying of Japan must stop. Its time Japan gets some politicians who are bold enough to say the truth

The yanks put is SOME efforts in the past but no one in Japan would WORK with American car manufacturers, distributors, no thanks, land owners, no thanks & on & on, it was all about protecting the Japan domestic  as Japan as done with so many other industries.

Yeah NOW Japan might be more willing to open to American investment, but the fact is now the car market here is shrinking so is no longer worth the bother sadly. We have seen this with big oil, which has pretty much sold & departed Japan.

Yes well the market may be worth it to luxury makers, for more regular type cars, Japan just isn't worth the time & effort now. Just watch how J-makers numbers of vehicles shrink, already happening

 the fact is now the car market here is shrinking so is no longer worth the bother

Then what are the US car manufacturers griping about?

Invalid CSRF

The trade warmonger currently occupying the White House continues to spread disinformation and misinformation about this and most other subjects.

This time around, his main goal is to convince his political base that he is representing their interests ahead of the November 2020 election, which he expects to win.

Tom

I will be 81. in 16 years. I guess the Japanese tariff on American beef is super high. What about on Aussie Beef...which does not compare in taste and texture to American beef?

There was a time when US beef was unsurpassed. But, that time is long gone. For too long now, US beef cattle is raised in horrible factory farming conditions, given growth hormones, antibiotics, and corn meal for feed.

The hormones keep the fat levels low and muscle content high. It means more weight per steer, which translates to profits for agra business, but tough, chewy steaks for consumers.

The antibiotics have caused new strains of deadly drug-resistant bacteria in the ecosystem. And, the crappy, corn-based feed leads to less flavorful meat.

The USDA stopped protecting consumers from greedy corporations, and is now run by the corporations (ex-agra execs and lobbyists) to protect the industry from the consumers.

Sure, in high-end stores and farmers' markets in the US, one can find properly-raised grass-fed, anti-biotic-and-hormone-free US beef. But, it's near impossible in Japan. So, I'll take JP or Aussie beef over USDA Prime any day. At least until balance is restored, and the USDA and FDA start serving the public again, and not the industry it's supposed to be regulating.

There was a time when US beef was unsurpassed. But, that time is long gone. For too long now, US beef cattle is raised in horrible factory farming conditions, given growth hormones, antibiotics, and corn meal for feed.

where do u people get this data from???

Can anyone tell me, on a scale of 1-10, from extremely easy on one end, to extremely difficult on the other, what is the level of difficulty in winning trade wars?

Unfortunately, Japan is a small country and doesn't carry much weight.

What about on Aussie Beef...which does not compare in taste and texture to American beef?

well you clearly havent eaten much Aussie beef then, Australia/NZ beef is some of the healthiest in the world, almost all grass fed cattle , not kept in massive feedlots to be fed corn and antibiotics. Almost zero outbreaks in th past 50yrs of footin mount, madcow, rabies etc. You can understand why it has a large market share in Japan.

Abe is to Trump what Trump is to Putin. Trump brown noses Putin because he's gotten oligarchs buying his hotel/condos. Abe? He's smitten, like a school boy crush, catering to the ill mannered Trump and it makes him a fool because he feeds Donnie's false bravado narcissism.

I really hope that former PM and China-friendly Hatoyama is working behind the scene to hook Japan up with China.

Hatoyama the alien?

China is obviously the future. The US is the past.

Not by a long shot. Trump is gonna be re-elected.

See, this is what you call a win-win in the eyes of the politicians in power on both sides of the ocean.

For Trump? He gets to declare a 'big win,' and that's all that matters. He's rallying his base with the election coming up next year, the facts and figures be damned. He knows that whether it's better than TPP, worse than TPP, or in fact if is never actually gets signed at all, his political base is going to call it a win for him.

I mean, look at what his supporters say about all his 'diplomacy' with NK. What has he actually accomplished outside of love letters and photo ops? Not a thing, but according to his base, he's the greatest diplomat since the word was invented.

Same principle here.

On the Japanese side, it's a win-win in the same way their joining the TPP negotiations was a win-win. By drawing out the negotiations, niggling over little points, and just playing the long game, they figure they can win. Either A) they'll take enough time that the bureaucrats, Keidanren, JA, etc will know how to loophole the whole thing and negate it without actually negating it, or B) just not give up much at all because they know that the parties involved are going to change due to elections and people leaving office. So in order to say they got something, they'll overlook and let Japan keep picking away at the spirit of the treaty in favor of loopholes, etc. And if not, Japan will just keep leaning back, sucking through their teeth, and playing the long game until the President or Sec State changes, or something in the political spectrum shifts.

Either way, in the end a piece of paper that's more useful as a paper airplane than an actual treaty, and nothing really changing or the effects sunsetting so far in the future that my grandchildren will be retiring before they come into effect.

Trump is more like a trader than a president of a mighty nation.

No dignity, no respect.

Even with the corn deal. Obviously, Abe said he would consider importing from the private sector.

But, he told reporters that he was glad that Japan bought all the corn that China did not buy.

 Even though he explained that Abe was thinking in the private sector again.

 he said "The Japanese country follows everything if the people let it in the government It is. It's different from us."

It's really rude. Nevertheless, Abe said nothing.

What's even more funny is that the US and South Korea have signed a white list today.

What is this?

where do u people get this data from???

do a search there is plenty of information here is just one massive feedlot in the US

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7NEqjJZzwY

The US has a 50% tariff on pickup trucks. That protection of Ford an GMC is not really different than Japanese protection of Japanese farmers.

The US has no interest in free markets. It wants controlled, protected, US-first markets that reward the companies and groups that pay the most money to politicians for re-election. And the same is true in Japan for political power, not so much the money, as in the US electoral system.

Under the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership as the current pact without the United States is formally known, a 38.5 percent tariff on beef imports to Japan will be lowered in stages to 9 percent in the 16th year since the entry into force of the CPTPP last year.

16 years is a long time and a lot can change. For one, agreements can be changed and they often do with changing presidents.

where do u people get this data from???

Food Inc documentary will give you a overview to start

https://youtu.be/C4osE1BjdPw

Sure, in high-end stores and farmers' markets in the US, one can find properly-raised grass-fed, anti-biotic-and-hormone-free US beef. But, it's near impossible in Japan. So, I'll take JP or Aussie beef over USDA Prime any day. At least until balance is restored, and the USDA and FDA start serving the public again, and not the industry it's supposed to be regulating.

It’s amazing how toothless the regulating agencies are, and that’s exactly how the industry wants it.

But, wait, wasn't it just yesterday we were told it was a done deal and a win for Americans?

@quercetum

16 years is a long time and a lot can change. For one, agreements can be changed and they often do with changing presidents.

Yes, and the climate crises/greenhouse gases debate and lab meat develops to fit into the equation within a similar deadline too.

Easiest way to attain them is cutting back on meat production at least 90%.

The thought of then adding in all the environmental cost of flying or shipping frozen meat from the US is Japan is too ridiculous to begin with.

You live in Japan, eat a traditional Japanese diet.