TRANSCRIPT: DEP. USTR FISHER REMARKS ON APEC INITIATIVES
(Japan must participate in sectoral liberalization efforts)Bangkok, Thailand -- Deputy U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Richard Fisher called on Japan to open its markets to fisheries and forest exports in accordance with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum's nine-sector Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization (EVSL) initiative.
"We view it as very important that Japan be a complete participant in the EVSL exercise and in the APEC Summit meeting on all fronts," Fisher said at a November 12 press conference in Bangkok.
Fisher said that Japan currently purchases approximately $18 billion worth of fish each year and noted that "just the tariff reduction alone within the EVSL ... would represent additional sales of some 70 million dollars a year in Thai fish -- Thai-caught fish -- into the Japanese market."
Although the United States is pleased by Japan's proposal for a $30 billion aid package for economies affected by the current global financial crisis, "we do not view it as a substitute for their participating in terms of opening their markets and reducing barriers for forestry products and fish," he said.
"We applaud the suggestion by the Japanese, which the United States is also working on ... to inject money into these economies for the purpose of assisting their economic recovery," Fisher said. "But we do make the argument and are insistent upon the fact that this is a complement to, not a substitute for, their participation in all nine sectors, and particularly in fisheries and forestry, in reducing their tariffs and committing to the EVSL."
Fisher stressed that the success of the EVSL initiative will require full participation from the APEC economies.
"We are very anxious, as members of APEC, that the meeting that takes place in Kuala Lumpur be judged by the world markets to be a success. And in order to be a success, it is our judgment and strong feeling that in all the nine sectors that I mentioned -- sectors that were identified by the APEC leaders the last time they got together which was in Vancouver one year ago -- that there be full participation by the different economies in all nine sectors," he said.
Following is a transcript of Fisher's remarks:
(begin transcript)
My name is Richard Fisher. I'm the Deputy U.S. Trade Representative and the Ambassador for Asia as well as other parts of the world. I've been very fortunate the last two days to be here in Bangkok meeting with officials of the Thai government, with Deputy Finance Minister Pisit, with the Deputy Commerce Minister Pravit, and just now with your distinguished Foreign Minister. The purpose of my visit is to discuss largely the meeting that will be taking place, starting this weekend in Kuala Lumpur, of the APEC leaders and the trade ministers on the subject of the Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization (EVSL), of tariff measures and other measures that affect several sectors -- fish and fish products and forest products, medical equipment, toys and gems and jewelry, chemicals, environmental goods and services, energy and telecommunications.
We first view our relationship with Thailand in the United States as a special relationship. The United States is now the largest market for Thai exports in the world. We have surpassed Japan in terms of our consumption of goods produced here in Thailand. We run a trade deficit with Thailand, and we view our relationship, not just on trade but on broader issues, as being an especially good one. We are very anxious, as members of APEC, that the meeting that takes place in Kuala Lumpur be judged by the world markets to be a success. And in order to be a success, it is our judgment and strong feeling that in all the nine sectors that I mentioned -- sectors that were identified by the APEC leaders the last time they got together which was in Vancouver one year ago -- that there be full participation by the different economies in all nine sectors. And we are now in the final stages of putting together this package. And the purpose of my visit is to meet with these distinguished officials to encourage Thailand to be a full participant in all of these nine sectors, and to discuss how we will get that accomplished in time for this meeting to be judged a success. That is the purpose of my visit and I would be happy to take any questions from the press.
I want to mention one thing that I know is on everybody's mind because I noticed a report in the press here in the last few days. And that is the role of Japan in this exercise. Japan is the second largest economy in the world and the largest economy in Asia. For the last several years it is an economy that has not been growing, and its consumption of products exported from Thailand and from other neighbors has not been increasing. We view it as very important that Japan be a complete participant in the EVSL exercise and in the APEC Summit meeting on all fronts. We are pleased that the Japanese have offered monies to be provided in the region to help industries cope with their current economic problems. We note that they have put together a figure of some 30 billion dollars U.S. In terms of money we hope that it will be new and fresh money and not simply a re-accounting for existing programs. And we applaud them for their efforts to do so in the region assuming these are new and fresh monies.
At the same time we do not view it as a substitute for their participating in terms of opening their markets and reducing barriers for forestry products and fish. Fish incidentally is very important to Thailand. You are a great fishing nation and great fish producers. The Japanese fish market buys approximately 18 billion dollars in fish a year. And just the tariff reduction alone within the EVSL, the Japanese market would represent additional sales of some 70 million dollars a year in Thai fish -- Thai-caught fish -- into the Japanese market. And so we applaud the suggestion by the Japanese, which the United States is also working on, to provide technical assistance, to provide grants to these different industries, to inject money into these economies for the purpose of assisting their economic recovery. But we do make the argument and are insistent upon the fact that this is a complement to, not a substitute for, their participation in all nine sectors, and particularly in fisheries and forestry, in reducing their tariffs and committing to the EVSL, the Early Voluntary Sectoral Liberalization agenda.
(end transcript)
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