Japan’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries is set to enter market access negotiations with Vietnamese officials in the hope of capitalising on the benefits of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), according to Nikkei.
The South East Asian nation currently bans orange and pear imports from Japan, however, the elimination of tariffs on both of these products under the TPP has prompted the ministry to act on behalf of the country’s growers and exporters. Vietnam’s 9.1 per cent tariff on pears will be eliminated a year after the trade deal is ratified, while a 10.9 per cent tariffon oranges will be phased out over three years.
Nikkei reported that tariffs on 98 per cent of Japan’s agricultural exports will be eliminated under the TPP. While the 12 countries involved in the TPP agreed upon general terms of the deal earlier this year, more specific details still have to be hammered-out before the agreement comes into force.
