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US trade rep plans Japan trip
TOKYO (Dow Jones)--U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick is arranging a trip to Japan around Feb. 10 to discuss stalled global trade talks and Japan's ban on U.S. beef imports, Kyodo News reported Jan. 27, citing a trade source.
Zoellick plans to hold talks in Tokyo with Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Shoichi Nakagawa on the new round of global trade talks launched by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001, the source said, according to Kyodo.
Zoellick may also meet with Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Minister Yoshiyuki Kamei and Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda to discuss the U.S. beef import ban imposed by Japan after the discovery of the first case of mad cow disease in the United States, the source said.
In mid-January, Zoellick wrote to WTO ministers responsible for the new round of global trade talks to press for a "common sense" approach to advancing stalled negotiations.
Zoellick proposed that WTO members agree to eliminate farm export subsidies by a set date and urged them to schedule meetings of senior officials to develop frameworks for negotiations by the middle of the year in preparation for a WTO ministerial meeting before the end of 2004.
The global trade talks have been deadlocked since the collapse of a WTO ministerial meeting in Cancun, Mexico, last September.
Zoellick is expected to seek support from Japan for his proposal when he visits Tokyo.
He is also expected to call for an early lifting of the Japanese ban on U.S. beef.
Japan banned U.S. beef imports immediately after the U.S. announced Dec. 23 that its first case of mad cow disease was found in the state of Washington.
Japan has rejected U.S. calls for lifting the ban at an early date, insisting safety measures so far taken by the U.S. do not convince it of the safety of U.S. beef products.
Japan has been urging the U.S. to test all cattle for mad cow disease, but the U.S. has been insisting that it is already taking scientific measures to ensure the safety of U.S. beef.
Date: 1/29/04
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