Japanese businesses expect RCEP deal to boost Asia trade, investment

China will also remove tariffs on some 87 percent of Japanese auto parts, steel products and household appliances, making 86 percent of Japan's China-bound industrial goods tariff-free as a result, sharply up from 8 percent.

Appears to be significant. More of these exports will be copied and eventually produced in mainland China.

And it probably means more cheap priced fruits and vegetables exported from Japan and more high prices for us living in Japan, while already all over Asia you buy Japanese fruit and vegetables at half price or less from Japan.

No mention of the effect on workers' wages, but that's the last thing on these officials' minds.

Is this not helping China?

RCEP will prove mainly to China's advantage. China should be boycotted, especially as it has no remorse for destroying the peoples and economies of every country whether accidently or on purpose. Personally I now avoid where possible buying any Chinese products, but it seems that many Japanese companies are in the pockets of Chinese manufacturers and there are no alternative suppliers.

Trades benefits both parties, supply and demand.

China opening up their large market, in fact is benefiting other smaller countries. China's market is on a different scale than the other members.

Saying this benefits China only is same as saying Trump's tariffs is MAGA.

No tariffs benefits consumers

China and Vietnam won bigly.

RCEP has no reinforcing mechanism, is prone to cheating. Especially, it has no clause on intellectual properties. Yes! Now people in Asia will freely pirate Japanese mangas and animes with no problem.

China will seize the means of production and take over all high-end manufacturings, the breads and butters of Korean and Japanese economies.

Vietnam will flood the Asian markets with their own medium-to-small value goods. Vietnam will dump steels, woods, plastics,...upon the ASEAN and Japan with no issue. No more tariffs, Vietnam will flood everything with the aids of Chinese supply chains.

Trade deals always negative for the common people

Negative towards the developed economies like South Korea and Japan who aren't prepared against dumping juggernauts of China and Vietnam. Workers in SK and Japan will suffer the worst as their companies can't compete against cheap and efficient companies of China and Vietnam.

I once visited a solar factory inside a mountain in China. Their facility is so massive that it took most of the mountain underground. This factory is responsible for ending Japanese dreams of solar energy dominance. Panasonic can't compete against Chinese economy of scopes and scales.

Meanwhile, Vietnamese people aren't on par with China but they are clever to utilize Chinese supply chains for their benefits. For example in steel industry, Vietnam buys Chinese raw materials and manufactures into real steels with much cheaper values. Vietnamese steelmakers proceed to dump their steels upon all ASEAN economies so bad that all companies in ASEAN are calling their governments to bar Vietnamese steel. Even the US took action against Vietnamese steel dumping with 453% tariffs. Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea have seen Vietnamese steel dumping before, but neither of them takes an action.

Personally I now avoid where possible buying any Chinese products, but it seems that many Japanese companies are in the pockets of Chinese manufacturers and there are no alternative suppliers.

True. Additionally, Japanese government pretty much allows China to plunder whatever left of Japanese economy. China is now owning all important assets, real etstate, in Japan. Meanwhile, Keidanren is so addicted to China that they put all of their important factories in China. Nissan is now going to focus all of its business into China, no wonder why Ghosn considers it is going to bankrupt in the next 2 years.

"We hope RCEP members will tenaciously encourage India's return to the pact, which will contribute to strengthening supply chains encompassing the region"

India will not return since RCEP covers mostly manufactured goods and India is trying to bring its own manufacturing sector up to scale to reduce cheap imports from China. RCEP does not cover services sector which is India's strong point. Moreover, India needs to protect its agricultural and diary sector which employs millions of people who may be out of jobs if the Indian market gets flooded with diary products from Australia and NZ.

Intensely dancing with those communists will make your feet severely hurt. Know that beforehand. I just told you it.

Michael Hooper. I fully agree. This deal will only benefit China. It will flood the Asian markets with cheap products manufactured in China. Smaller Asian countries can not simply compete with the giant. I have been boycotting all Chinese products for years. I am surprised the Japanese government can be so naiive towards China's selfish intentions.

These trade pacts only serve the politicians and rarely or never deliver any practical returns. Certainly not for the consumer. The free trade agreement between the EU Nd Japan is a lot of noise about nothing. China will promise more and lie more.

Trade deals always negative for the common people

How do you get this conclusion? Under rcep Japan will remove tariffs on 49 percent to 61 percent of agricultural and fisheries products, which means common Japanese people can buy food at a lower price in the near future.

Is this not helping China

I think China will not benefit.

but during the trade war with USA, China must have been struggle and ended up joining in RCEP. Lots of product will have lower tariffs then China will face trade loss.

Japan have to show a leader ship and it’ll the best way for democratic counties to transfer supply chain to APAC.

Trade deals grow the economy... by helping the rich and large corporations. Trade deals always negative for the common people

China has already been suffering from job losses to ASEAN because they already gave a free trade deal with each other, many manufacturers have moved to Vietnam to avoid the Trump tariff.

This deal will make them bleed jobs even faster, plus they will have to open their market for Japan.

Great news for Japan now that tourism economy is basically dead

Geopolitically, this deal won't change a thing. India will become the next powerhouse of Asia, it's of the highest interest for Japan and the US

What can Japan do ? The fate of Japan is fixed, there is no other ways, as simple as that.