Japan, Mexico start FTA talks

Japan, Mexico start FTA talks

TOKYO: Japan and Mexico began five days of working-level talks
here on Monday on concluding a free trade agreement (FTA), with
negotiations focused on non-farm sectors, a foreign ministry
official said.

The talks come hard on the heels of a two-day vice-ministerial
meeting which ended on Friday without bridging the gap over trade
in orange juice, oranges, pork, chicken and beef.

The foreign ministry official noted on Monday that the two
countries are not only talking about agricultural products.

"We also have to negotiate on industrial goods, the services
sector, investment, governmental procurement and other items that
were not discussed at the last vice-ministerial talks," he said.

The two countries are now trying to prepare a draft text of
the agreement in these non-farm sectors, he added. The meetings
follow a recent proposal by Mexican Economy Secretary Fernando
Canales to set a deadline of the end of March to reach agreement.

The two countries remain divided particularly over Japanese
tariffs on Mexican pork and orange juice after failing to
conclude the FTA talks during the visit to Tokyo by Mexican
President Vicente Fox last October. -- AFP