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Report
No.240203 |
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- International - |
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Japan and the Philippines Conclude Economic Partnership Agreement Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Junichiro Koizumi met with President of the Republic of the Philippines, Ms. Macapagal-Arroyo on September 9 in the margins of the Sixth Asia-Europe Summit Meeting held in Finland, and they signed the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) with the Free Trade Agreement at its center. The agreement will take effect next spring at soonest. Sensitive items are treated exempt and so forth from the agreement. The Republic of the Philippines is the fourth country with which Japan enters into such partnership relationship after Singapore, Mexico and Malaysia. In the area of agriculture, the agreement upon taking effect will eliminate tariffs on asparagus and mango etc., and additionally provides for low tariff import quota for chicken meat produced in the Philippines (excluding legs with bone-in), and for zero tariff import quota for fresh light weight (less than 900 grams) pineapples. Items such as rice, wheat and barley and dairy products, which Japan enlists as sensitive products in agriculture negotiations of the World Trade Organization, are excluded from the agreement to make them exempt from tariff elimination, while tariff on crude sugar of the Philippines will be renegotiated during the fourth year of the agreement. In the meantime, the Philippines will eliminate tariff on grapes, apples and pears from Japan upon coming into force of the agreement. |
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