Japan Has 'No Objections' to US-Japan Deal Starting Jan. 1, Foreign Minister Says

Japan’s legislature will review the U.S.-Japan trade agreement today, Japan’s foreign minister told Nikkei, adding that Japan has “no objections” to the deal taking effect Jan. 1, 2020.

"The deal strikes a balance between agricultural and industrial products," Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said. "We were able to attain a win-win outcome for both Japan and the U.S." Motegi said he hopes to gain the legislature’s approval of the deal -- which was announced by the two countries Sept. 25 (see 1909250052) -- after “a thorough explanation.”

Motegi said he will tell the legislature that the deal is a “win-win” for both sides but also stressed the importance of giving an explanation "that specifically explains each item," according to an unofficial translation of an Oct. 1 ministry press conference transcript. “We would like to talk about the contents carefully and about the perceptions of those involved,” he said.