Japan to Speed Up Revised TPP Approval Process: Abe

May 20, 2018

Iwaki, Fukushima Pref.- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe indicated Saturday his desire to speed up domestic ratification procedures for a revised Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement.

In talks with Winston Peters, deputy prime minister of New Zealand, Abe said, "Japan wants to swiftly complete the domestic procedures and help build the momentum toward the pact's early effectuation together with New Zealand."

Peters said it was great that the revised TPP was signed under Japan's leadership.

The two held talks on the sidelines of a summit of Japan and 18 Pacific island countries and territories in Iwaki in the northeastern Japan prefecture of Fukushima.

The new trade deal, called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP, was forged by Japan and 10 other countries in March after the United States withdrew from the original TPP last year.

On Friday, the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of Japan's parliament, passed a bill to ratify the CPTPP. While the bill is expected to be enacted before the current parliamentary session ends next month, the government still have to work on enacting related bills in order to complete the approval process. Jiji Press