ＴＰＰ大筋合意 巨大貿易圏で成長底上げ図れ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Boost economic growth in giant TPP free trade zone
ＴＰＰ大筋合意　巨大貿易圏で成長底上げ図れ

　◆日本農業の強化は待ったなしだ

A new trade and investment framework that will drive the global economy will be born in the Asia-Pacific region.
　アジア太平洋地域に、世界経済を牽引けんいんする新たな貿易・投資の枠組みが誕生する。

A broad agreement has been reached during ministerial talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact.
　環太平洋経済連携協定（ＴＰＰ）交渉が閣僚会合で大筋合意した。

The creation of a giant free trade zone, which accounts for about 40 percent of the world’s gross domestic product today, is expected to vitalize the flow of people, goods and funds and propel economic growth.
　世界の国内総生産（ＧＤＰ）の約４割を占める巨大な自由貿易圏の創設で、人やモノ、資金の流れが活性化され、経済成長を底上げする効果が期待できる。

The TPP negotiations, which have continued for 5½ years, experienced rough going until the end, but we welcome that the 12 participating countries — industrialized countries and emerging economies — have overcome many conflicts of interest despite their varying circumstances.
　５年半に及んだ交渉は最後まで難航したが、先進国から新興国まで、様々な事情を抱える参加１２か国が多くの利害対立を乗り越えたことを歓迎したい。

Sense of urgency
　◆危機感共有で漂流回避

The negotiations were finally concluded after extending the schedule by four days. This is because talks over issues such as the data protection period for newly developed drugs remained intractable to the last.
　交渉は予定を４日延長して、ようやく妥結した。新薬開発のデータ保護期間を巡る協議などが、最後までもつれたためである。

The United States insisted the data protection period should be 12 years, while Australia and other countries advocated a period of five years. Japan’s proposal to set it at effectively eight years was reportedly adopted.
　保護期間は、米国が１２年、オーストラリアなどが５年を唱えたが、実質８年とする日本の提案が採用されたという。

It is significant that Japan played a role as a go-between to a certain extent.
　仲介役として、日本が一定の役割を果たしたのは意義がある。

Differences were also resolved in opinions over the “rule of origin,” or the percentage of the parts of a car made within the TPP region that should be used for the vehicles to be eligible for favorable treatment such as a tariff cut.
　ＴＰＰ域内で生産された部品を何割使えば、自動車の関税引き下げなどの優遇を受けられるかという「原産地規則」に関する意見の相違も解消した。

Japan insisted on 40 percent, while countries including Mexico called for more than 60 percent, but a compromise was reportedly reached at around 50 percent.
　日本が４割、メキシコなどは６割超を主張したが、５割前後で妥協が成立したとされる。

Agreement was also reached on an issue in which New Zealand pressed the United States, Japan and other countries to increase their imports of dairy products.
　ニュージーランドが、日米などに乳製品の輸入拡大を迫っていた問題でも折り合いがついた。

It is commendable that countries fiercely at odds with each other reached compromises from a broader perspective.
　激しく対立してきた各国が、大局的見地から歩み寄ったことは評価できる。

The participating countries turned to concessions on many outstanding issues probably because they were able to share a sense of urgency that the negotiations could drift if the talks broke down again this time.
　数々の懸案で各国が譲歩に転じたのは、今回も物別れに終われば、交渉が漂流しかねない、という危機感を共有できたからだろう。

In the United States, it has been pointed out that momentum toward an agreement on the TPP talks could fade away as the Democrats and Republicans may become increasingly confrontational as their focus shifts toward the presidential election in autumn next year.
　米国では今後、来年秋の大統領選をにらんで民主、共和両党の対決姿勢が強まり、合意への機運が薄れる恐れが指摘されていた。

U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman, who chaired the TPP talks, stressed the achievements of the negotiations, saying at a press conference that it is an “ambitious” and “high standard” agreement.
　議長のフロマン米通商代表は記者会見で、「野心的な高いレベルの合意だ」と成果を強調した。

The TPP free trade pact promises, among other things, to abolish tariffs or carry out regulatory reforms in 31 areas. If it becomes effective, tariffs on many agricultural and industrial products will be lowered, and fair, highly transparent and comprehensive rules on trade and investment will be created.
　ＴＰＰは３１分野にわたり、関税撤廃や規制改革などを約束している。発効すれば、多くの農産品や工業製品の関税が下げられ、公平で透明性の高い包括的な貿易・投資ルールが整備される。

This will raise the degree of freedom in economic activities and TPP member countries will likely receive various benefits, including expansion of production and job creation.
　経済活動の自由度が高まり、生産拡大や雇用創出など、様々な恩恵を享受できよう。

It is important for each participating country to win its legislature’s approval of a final agreement promptly, leading to effectuation of the accord.
　各国は今後、速やかに合意案の議会承認を得て、協定発効へ着実につなげることが大切だ。

The government needs to explain to the public in detail the possible benefits to be gained and the pains to bear through the participation in the TPP.
　ＴＰＰ参加で得られる利益と甘受すべき痛みを、国民に丁寧に説明することが求められる。

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration considers Japan’s participation in the TPP scheme as one of the central pillars of its growth strategy.
　安倍政権は、ＴＰＰを成長戦略の柱と位置づけている。

The TPP is a framework deemed vital for the Japanese economy to take in a growing market of Asia as its domestic market is expected to shrink due to a population decline.
ＴＰＰは、人口減で国内市場の縮小が見込まれる日本が、アジアの成長を取り込むのに不可欠な枠組みだ。

Checking China
　◆中国を牽制する役割も

With the member countries abiding by the rules set within the TPP accord, risks such as unexpected changes to trade rules will be lowered, facilitating the expansion of companies into the markets of other countries.
　ＴＰＰのルールを各国が順守することで、規制が突然変更されるといったリスクが低下し、企業は安心して域内国に進出できる。

Participation will also provide a nice tailwind for Japan to promote exports of infrastructure development such as roads and railways. Should a large number of import duties, including those on beef and pork, be reduced, the benefits for Japanese consumers will be substantial.
　道路や鉄道などのインフラ（社会資本）輸出を促進する追い風にもなろう。牛・豚肉など多くの輸入関税が下がれば、日本の消費者が受けるメリットも大きい。

Abe welcomed the broad agreement as “a farsighted state policy to build a free and fair economic zone among countries that share the same values.”
　安倍首相は、大筋合意について「価値観を共有する国による自由で公正な経済圏を作っていく国家百年の計だ」と語った。

We should not allow to pass unnoted the possible effect of both Japan and the United States, which lead the TPP talks, banding together and deepening the alliance. Such an effect will restrain China, a country that has been escalating its hegemonic activities lately.
　ＴＰＰを主導する日米が結束し、同盟関係を深化させる効果も見逃せない。覇権主義的動きを強める中国への牽制けんせいとなろう。

The principles of TPP, the world’s largest economic accord, will become “international standards.” It is desirable to urge China to reform itself, to abide by fair and transparent rules and to have the world’s second largest economic power contribute to the prosperity of the global community.
　世界最大の経済協定であるＴＰＰの原則は「国際標準」となる。公正、透明なルールに従うよう中国に改革を迫り、世界２位の経済力を世界の繁栄に生かしたい。

Measures to tackle possible side effects of the TPP deal are also essential. There are many who are worried that domestic farmers, in particular, will be hit hard as they will face fierce competition from foreign products on which import duties will be lowered. There may be no time to waste in strengthening the mold for the country’s farming sector.
　ＴＰＰの副作用への対応も欠かせない。特に、関税の引き下げで、外国産品との厳しい競争に直面する国内農業への打撃を心配する向きは多い。農業の体質強化は待ったなしだろう。

End handout policy
　◆予算のバラマキを排せ

It could be a good idea for Japan to seize the TPP deal as a chance for it to build an agriculture sector of the future, rather than considering the pact as bringing only negative effects.
　ＴＰＰを単にマイナス材料とみなさず、むしろ未来の農業を形成する好機と捉えてはどうか。

The government should focus on projects such as enhancing productivity by adopting information technology and by promoting large-scale farming, and raising the earning power of the farming sector by promoting exports strategically.
　ＩＴ（情報技術）導入や農地の大規模化で生産性を上げたり、戦略的な輸出で農業の稼ぐ力を高めたりする事業に注力すべきだ。

Following the Uruguay Round agreement reached in 1993, under which Japan partially opened its market to rice imports, the government injected funding worth ¥6 trillion over eight years to assist farmers. But this ended up being mostly spent on public works such as land improvement, and were said to have little effect on enhancing international competitiveness. The same mistake should not be made.
　コメ市場が部分開放された１９９３年のウルグアイ・ラウンド合意では、８年間で計６兆円規模の対策費が投じられた。土地改良など公共事業が中心で、競争力を高める効果は乏しかったとされる。同じ轍てつを踏んではなるまい。

With the House of Councillors election, scheduled for next summer, in mind, there are some within the Liberal Democratic Party calling for a large increase in agriculture-related budgets, under the pretext of measures to deal with the TPP accord.
　来年夏の参院選を意識し、自民党内からは、ＴＰＰ対策を名目に農業予算の大幅増を求める声が出ている。

The government will be tested on whether it can allocate budgets by prioritizing those projects that will help reinvigorate the nation’s farming sector, while eliminating the policy of handouts for farmers.
バラマキを排し、農業再生に資する事業に予算を重点配分できるかどうかが問われよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 6, 2015)