Japan-Mexico (Mainichi)
A dispute over trade in agricultural products
prevented Japan and Mexico Thursday from signing a
bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) during Mexican
President Vicente Fox's visit to Japan.
The bilateral talks in Tokyo collapsed after Japanese
and Mexican negotiators remained at odds over Mexico's
demand that Tokyo liberalize its imports of orange
juice, Japanese officials said.
"The leaders of the two countries confirmed that
important problems remain unsolved," a joint statement
issued by the governments of Japan and Mexico said.
The two countries had intended to reach a basic accord
to conclude an FTA while the Mexican president was in
Japan from Wednesday to Saturday.
A high-ranking official of the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries told reporters
that the schedule for the next round of bilateral FTA
talks had not been fixed yet. The official added that
the two countries will set the date for the next round
of FTA talks through diplomatic channels.
Even though both sides emphasized that the bilateral
FTA talks did not break down, the failure to reach
agreement by the deadline is likely to affect the
prospects of Japan's planned conclusion of FTAs with
the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and South
Korea.
During ministerial talks in Tokyo, Japan and Mexico
once neared a basic agreement after Japan offered to
double the quota of Japan's imports of pork from
Mexico.
However, Mexico subsequently demanded that Tokyo also
expand its quota for imports of orange juice from
Mexico.
After Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Fox failed
to reach a basic accord, the Mexican delegation raised
its demand on Japan's imports of orange juice.
Japan refused to continue FTA negotiations while Fox
is still in Japan. "We can't respond to the new
proposal in which Mexico raised the bar at the end of
the talks," Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei said. (Compiled from Mainichi
and wire reports, Japan, Oct. 16, 2003)
2003.10.18
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