Japan Upper House Begins Debate on TPP-Related Bills

June 1, 2018

Tokyo- Japan's House of Councillors on Friday started deliberations on bills related to the revised Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade agreement among 11 nations excluding the United States.

"The deal will provide a foundation for stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region," Prime Minister Shinzo Abe told a plenary meeting of the upper chamber of parliament.

The deal was signed in March by the 11 countries--Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam.

The pact will enter into force if six countries or more complete the domestic ratification procedures. In Japan, parliamentary approval is required for a bill to ratify the TPP deal and related legislation.

The ratification bill passed the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, on May 18 and was sent to the Upper House within the day.

The bill will be enacted during the current parliamentary session, currently set to end on June 20, regardless of whether the upper chamber takes a vote on it, under a constitutional provision on automatic enactment of some bills that have passed the lower chamber.

But the rule does not apply to the TPP-related legislation, which calls for support measures for domestic farmers expected to face stiffer competition after the TPP deal enters into force. Jiji Press