米大統領交渉権 ＴＰＰの早期妥結につなげよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
U.S. legislation on fast-track authority must lead to early TPP trade accord
米大統領交渉権　ＴＰＰの早期妥結につなげよ

The conditions are finally in place to significantly push forward negotiations regarding the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉を大きく進展させる環境が、ようやく整った。

Japan, the United States and 10 other participating countries should speed up negotiations to seal a multilateral trade deal as early as possible.
　日米など参加１２か国は交渉を加速し、早期妥結を実現させるべきだ。

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday passed a Trade Promotion Authority bill that will grant President Barack Obama fast-track authority on trade deals. The bill was earlier approved by the House of Representatives and will become law after Obama signs it.
　米上院が、オバマ大統領に通商一括交渉権（ＴＰＡ）を与える法案を可決した。下院ではすでに可決しており、大統領の署名を経て成立する。

There was concern that if a trade deal was reached without Obama being given TPA, any accord agreed to by the United States would be nullified due to U.S. congressional opposition. This prevented other participating nations from rallying the momentum to reach a broad TPP agreement.
　大統領がＴＰＡを持たずに合意しても、議会の反対で約束が反故ほごにされる恐れがある。このため参加国では、ＴＰＰ大筋合意への機運が高まらなかった。

With the TPA legislation, the participating countries will aim to hammer out a broad accord at a ministerial meeting in July. For now, we welcome the TPP negotiations’ entry into a new phase.
　ＴＰＡ成立を受け、参加国は７月中の閣僚会合で大筋合意を目指す。交渉が新たな局面に入ったことを、ひとまず歓迎したい。

TPP is an ambitious vision for creating a high-level free trade zone in the Asia-Pacific region. If realized, it will contribute greatly to the development and stability of the region. But tough negotiations lie ahead for all the participating countries because they are confronted with domestic opponents calling for protection of their domestic industries.
　ＴＰＰは、アジア太平洋地域に高いレベルの自由貿易圏を創出する野心的な構想だ。実現すれば、地域経済の発展と安定に大きく寄与する。ただ、各国とも国内産業の保護を唱える反対派を抱え、難しい交渉を迫られている。

The Obama administration’s stance is to promote the TPP deal. But the Democratic Party, which is supposed to support Obama, takes a strongly cautious view of the deal because the party is backed by labor unions. In contrast, most lawmakers from the Republican Party are in favor of pushing the TPP deal.
　オバマ政権は、ＴＰＰ推進の立場だが、身内のはずの民主党は、労働組合を支持層としていることもあり、慎重論が根強い。一方、共和党では、ＴＰＰに前向きな議員が多数派を形成する。

Overall perspective vital

Due to the differences in opinion between the president and the Democratic Party, the TPA bill was in limbo for more than two years.
　大統領と民主党の意見の食い違いが災いし、ＴＰＡ法案の扱いは２年以上も迷走した。

The lack of leadership by Obama, who is passive about winning over the opposing legislators, is undeniably to blame for exacerbating the turmoil surrounding the matter.
　議会の説得に消極的だったオバマ氏の指導力不足も、混迷に拍車をかけたことは否めまい。

Now that the battle in Congress has been settled, the focus has shifted to the fate of the TPP negotiations themselves. But it cannot be predicted how the talks will unfold.
　米議会での攻防が収束し、焦点はＴＰＰ交渉そのものに移る。その行方は予断を許さない。

Japan and the United States have made progress in their bilateral negotiations on such matters as tariff cuts on beef and pork imports. The issues left unresolved include expansion of U.S. rice imports by Japan, on which Tokyo is reluctant to concede, and the timetable and range of U.S. tariff cuts on automobile parts imported from Japan.
　日米交渉は、牛・豚肉の関税引き下げなどで進展している。ただ、日本が難色を示してきた米国産コメの輸入拡大や、米国の自動車部品関税引き下げの時期や範囲など、残された課題もある。

Tough battles have continued between the United States and emerging countries in negotiations related to intellectual property rights, including the protection period and range for newly developed medicines.
　米国と新興国は、新薬開発データの保護期間など知的財産権の分野で厳しい対立を続ける。

Top priority must be given to preventing the negotiations from drifting off course. As the countries to lead the TPP talks, Japan and the United States must cooperate to work out a final agreement as early as possible from a comprehensive standpoint.
　交渉全体の漂流を回避することが最優先だ。ＴＰＰ交渉を主導する日米が大局的な見地に立ち、最終合意を急ぐことが肝心だ。

The significance of TPP is not limited to economic benefits accruing from the expansion of trade and investment. The TPP framework is also expected to serve as a check on China, which has been increasing its presence in both the economic and security spheres.
　ＴＰＰの意義は、貿易や投資の拡大を通じた経済的な利益にとどまらない。経済と安全保障の両面で存在感を高める中国を、牽制けんせいする役割も期待される。

China has been making steady progress in pushing for such plans as establishment of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank while expanding its aggressive maritime activities in the East and South China seas. If the TPP plan breaks apart in midair, it will help China become more aggressive and assertive. The participating countries should share this concern.
　中国はアジアインフラ投資銀行（ＡＩＩＢ）の設立などを着々と進め、東・南シナ海で強引な海洋進出を図っている。ＴＰＰが空中分解に終われば、中国の攻勢はさらに強まろう。交渉参加国は、危機感を共有すべきである。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, June 26, 2015)