(Tokyo Shimbun: March 4, 2015 – p. 7)    Honda Motor Co. and Nissan Motor Co. will increase at factories in Japan production of cars for export on account of a weakening yen that boosts profitability for exporters. Car sales in Japan have continued to flag since the consumption tax hike. The two automakers apparently aim to boost factory utilization….Read more

(Nikkei: March 1, 2015 – p. 3)    The conclusion of negotiations for the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is likely to be delayed until April instead of March, as originally planned. This is because of the delay in the U.S. Congress’s deliberations on granting trade promotion authority (TPA) to President Barack Obama in the TPP talks. Since the TPP accord….Read more

(Asahi: February 27, 2015 – p.9)    Total automobile exports for January by eight car makers was 317,385 units, up by 3.6% compared with the same month in the previous year. The rate of increase exceeded the 0.8% rate marked in December last year, which was for the first time better than the previous year in 13 months. However, due….Read more

(Yomiuri: February 24, 2015 – p. 3)    By Naotake Katori, economic reporter    Yoshimasa Hayashi, who was agriculture minister from December 2012 to September 2014, has been appointed to replace Agriculture Minister Koya Nishikawa. It is widely believed that this “minimizes” the impact on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations, which are now at a critical stage, and agricultural cooperative….Read more

(Nikkei: February 24, 2014 – p. 3)    The resignation of Agriculture Minister Koya Nishikawa was an unexpected turn of events for the Abe cabinet, which is all geared up to “boldly implement agricultural cooperative reform for the first time in 60 years” during the current Diet session. The administration is facing tough issues such as deliberation on amendments to….Read more

(Asahi: February 11, 2015 – p. 3)    By Toshihiko Ogata, Go Kobayashi    Kurt Tong, a principal deputy assistant secretary at the U.S. Department of State, gave an interview to Asahi Shimbun in which he said, “I am optimistic that (an agreement) is close” in the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. Regarding the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) China….Read more

(Asahi: February 10, 2015 – p. 2)    The issue of agricultural cooperative reform, which Prime Minister Shinzo Abe sets as the centerpiece of his regulatory reform efforts, was settled on Feb. 9. The powers of the Central Union of Agricultural Cooperatives (JA Zenchu), which is seen as the symbol of the “bedrock regulations,” were slashed significantly, partly in consideration….Read more

(Mainichi: February 8, 2015 – p. 6)    The U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF) announced on Feb. 6 that exports of beef to Japan for 2014 totaled $1.578 billion (about 188 billion yen), up by 13.6% compared to the previous year and increasing for the tenth year in a row. Exports marked a record high for the first time in….Read more

(Nikkei: February 7, 2015 – p. 2)    The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations aiming at establishing a new framework for free trade have reached the final stretch. Japan and the U.S., which play a central role in the talks, have narrowed down the remaining issues through steady bilateral negotiations. Trade officials of both countries need to wrap up the negotiations….Read more

(Sankei: January 29, 2015 – p. 11)    By Tatsuhiko Tamura    The recovery of auto exports has been slow despite the tailwind provided by a weaker yen. Figures released by the eight major automakers on Jan. 28 show that exports in 2014 dropped by 4.9% from the previous year, shrinking for two consecutive years. This is due to increasing….Read more