US Failure to Ratify TPP Would Threaten Global Standing, Says Japanese Ambassador
Should Trans-Pacific Partnership opponents on Capitol Hill ultimately defeat TPP implementation legislation, the U.S. would signal it's heading toward an isolationist future aimed only at protecting its domestic market, said Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Kenichiro Sasae at a Center for Strategic and International Studies event on Oct. 13. The defeat of TPP will devastate U.S. “dynamism” and show the U.S. is not “viable anymore,” said Sasae.
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Those comments come in the wake of skeptical reactions to the conclusion of TPP negotiations from U.S. lawmakers, including staunch supporters (see 1510050017). “It’s a responsibility of the leadership in Congress to make sure America is taking the right course,” said Sasae. “If you see some of the areas, like pharmaceuticals, I think there has to be balance between the business and consumers and government rule. I think in every negotiation, you have to have a compromise. The question is: Is compromise sufficient enough to accommodate each and every one of the participants?” According to remarks from U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman at the press conference announcing a TPP deal (here), the U.S. agreed to a minimum of five years of data protection for biologics, despite Obama administration calls over recent years for 12 years of protection.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding TPP’s future in Congress, Japan should still commit to moving forward with its ratification process following the formal signing of the pact. The U.S. and Japanese ratifications “could be a simultaneous, or a bit faster or a bit later. But collectively I think we will move forward,” said Sasae. “But if there isn’t any movement on the part of the United States, I think some countries may be thinking that they’d better wait.”