Japan will eventually have to eliminate the tariffs it imposes on imported farm products despite its intention to keep them as an exception in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free-trade negotiations it plans to join later this month, Malaysia's trade minister has indicated.
International Trade and Industry Minister Mustapa Mohamed said Tuesday in Tokyo: "We need to know how long that (agriculture) sector needs to be protected. I think there's got to be some transitional arrangement" to ease the impact of the trade liberalization.
The central government estimates that Japan's agricultural output will drop by ¥3 trillion from the current total of about ¥7.1 trillion if the tariffs are eliminated under the TPP and no compensation measures are taken.