Japan will seek to retain its tariffs on five key farm products after joining the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations, government sources said.
Under pressure to protect the domestic agriculture industry, the government plans to prioritize the exemption of rice, wheat, beef, sugar and dairy products from the TPP principle of total tariff elimination.
Japan will join the 18th round of TPP talks to be held in Malaysia from July 15 to 25. But Tokyo's negotiators will only participate in the discussions from July 23, to allow the United States to first complete domestic procedures for admitting Japan.