Trade minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Tuesday that a recent deal on car trade between Japan and the United States won't necessarily leave Japanese companies at a disadvantage to their South Korean rivals.
The deal was reached as part of the process to win U.S. approval for Japan's participation in the negotiations for the Trans-Pacific Partnership regional free-trade accord, with Tokyo seen as having made concessions on auto issues to which Washington is sensitive.
While stressing that entry to the TPP talks is an important avenue for Japan to capitalize on Asia's economic growth, Motegi, who heads the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, told a news conference, "I think the (Japan-U.S.) agreement is not necessarily disadvantageous compared with the U.S.-South Korea free-trade accord."