politics

Juncker says he wants EU-Japan FTA concluded by year-end

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EU thinks they'll get the same type of deal with Japan, that they got with South Korea. Since the EU-South Korea FTA in 2012, South Korea has had $13 billion trade deficits with EU every year since. The reason for that is European, particularly German cars that have flooded into South Korea to tip the trade balance in favour of Europe. Before the FTA in 2012, South Korea had a $10 billion surplus with EU. However, EU is mistaking that Japanese will be like the South Koreans and will start buying European cars in mass. It's not going to happen. Japan will put up every invisible trade barriers they can think of, and the Japanese consumers will never support foreign companies in their homeland.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

the Japanese consumers will never support foreign companies in their homeland.

Then explain why so many people have iPhones?

South Korea is very similar to Japan in terms of the strong preference for domestic products; but this preference does not overrule product quality & pricing in either country. If the product is good, the company seen as trustworthy, and the price is right, Japanese consumers will buy it. If German cars get cheaper, Japanese drivers will buy more of them.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There is a definite difference in what Japanese companies think and do, what the government think and do and what the people think and do. The biggest influence in all of that has been and will be the media.

The group that can influence the media will play the major role in the final result.

That is because power is with communication and information. It is in what kind of information is selected and massaged and how that information is disseminated when and where with what kind of emphasis and bias that "influences" the entire population.

As far as EU is concerned, it is only watching out for EU and NOT Japan.

Just hope that the media will not be "bought" by money and some idealistic rhetoric by EU and those that believe "globalization" and "internationalism" is the best for any country. Each country must first put priority in its own existence and determine the extent to which it will participate globally or intentionally.

Bexit occurred, and EU is realizing now that forced or well-intentioned unity or globalization is not necessarily the best for each and every nation so involved. Like any family there are a few that must bear more burden and responsibility for those that do not or cannot.

But for EU they need Japan as they need Britain and the USA. China needs EU for its own benefit and will encourage EU to continue to pursue Japan.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

The EU isn't pursuing Japan on China's behalf! The EU and Japan are negotiating a trade deal. If both parties do a good job of it, it will benefit both the EU and Japan.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Seen the number of German cars around middle / upper class urban areas of Japan?"

The market share of all European cars in Japan is only around 4%.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

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