Japan urges APEC partners to join LDC market initiative

Asian Economic News, June 12, 2000

DARWIN, Australia, June 5 Kyodo

Japanese Trade Minister Takashi Fukaya told World Trade Organization (WTO) Director General Mike Moore on Monday that Japan is urging Pacific Rim countries to join a WTO-backed initiative on market access for exports from least-developed countries (LDCs), according to Japanese officials.

The officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Fukaya made the remarks in a meeting with Moore on the eve of a two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers' meeting in Darwin, northern Australia.

He told Moore Japan wants as many APEC members as possible join the initiative, which began with commitments earlier this year from Japan, the United States, the European Union and Canada.

The so-called quadrilateral countries committed themselves to extending both tariff-free and quota-free treatment for "essentially all" products originating in LDCs.

But it remains unclear to what extent they will actually open their markets to mainstay LDC exports such as textiles and agricultural products.

Their commitments were subsequently confirmed at the WTO General Council in early May.

So far, in addition to Japan, the U.S. and Canada, APEC members Chile, Hong Kong, South Korea and New Zealand have also signed on, as have non-APEC and non-EU members Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

APEC also includes Australia, Brunei, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, Peru, the Philippines, Russia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam.

None of the members are LDCs that would benefit from the initiative.