何だか妙な具合だが、オバマの通知はまだかと書いたら、その日の内に大統領から米議会に対して、TPP交渉へ日本を参加させる目的が通知された。
URLは下記のとおり。
http://www.ustr.gov/sites/default/files/04242013 JBoehner Japan TPP notification_final 04-24-2013.pdf
画像ファイルになっているので、OCRした上、末尾に貼り付けた。
マチベンという仕事柄、英語を常用しているわけではないので、翻訳を期待するのは、今のところ、筋違いである。原文のままだし、OCRのミスをチェックするほどの腕もないので、間違いがあるかもしれないことをお断りしておく。
失効した2002年超党派大統領貿易促進権限法に倣った通知であるので、2月の日米共同声明以来の過程の中で、日本が一方的に差し入れた事前協議における『合意』と題する『念書』と並んで、法的には最も重要な文書である。
その割にマスコミはまともに伝えていないことを指摘しておきたい。
印象をまとめておく。
- 日本には強気で臨むオバマ政権は、とにかく成果を強調しなければ議会の了解が得られないということだ。つまり、オバマの交渉相手は、米議会であり、属国である日本ではないということだ。米議会との交渉材料を得るためにオバマ政権は日本に過大な貢ぎ物をさせ、安倍政権はオバマを介して米議会のご機嫌を伺うために率先して貢ぎ物を上乗せしていく。これが強い交渉の実態だ。
- マスコミではよく理解できない部分だが、通知文は日米二国間の交渉の意義を強調している。TPPの成否を問わず、並行二国間交渉で、最大限の米国益・米企業益・米国民益を追及する姿勢を鮮明にしている。事前協議の米国の最大のポイントは、実質的な日米FTAの交渉開始を合意した点にある。日本のポイントは何もなく、マイナスだけだ。
- 繰り返しになるが、アメリカが追及しているのは、ナイーブで単純な「自由貿易」なのではない。米国益に適う徹底した保護主義と米国益に適う範囲の徹底した自由貿易だ。この点において、自国中心主義は、一国行動主義を明確にしたイラク戦争と同質のである。
意外に大統領の権限は不自由で、弱いのである。
米国の権力分立の特徴は、行政(外交)と立法の分離が明確ではなく議会が優越することのようだ。
米国との交渉では議会工作が不可欠なのだが、このことについては、マスコミも触れないし、政府発表からもうかがい知れない。
政権との交渉が全てのように考えていると、とんでもない目に遭うのは米韓FTAの締結後の再交渉を韓国が呑まされた経過で見たとおりだ。
* ランキングに参加しています *

------------------------------------
EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE
PRESIDENT
THE UNITED STATES TRADE
REPRESENTATIVE
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20508
April 24, 2013
The Honorable John Boehner
Speaker
United States House of
Representatives Washington, DC 20515
Dear Mr.
Speaker:
On
behalf of President Obama, I am
pleased to notify the Congress that we intend to include Japan, the country
with the third largest economy in the world, in the ongoing negotiations of the
Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) Agreement. As stated in the December 2009
letter from Ambassador Kirk notifying the Congress of our intention to enter
into the TPP negotiations, the United States views a TPP Agreement as a means
to advance US. economic interests with the fastest-growing region in the world
and as a potential platform for economic integration across the Asia-Pacific
region. A TPP Agreement will also serve as a tool to expand US. exports which
is critical to our continued economic recovery and to the creation and
retention of high paying, high-quality jobs in the United States. Japan’s
participation in the TPP negotiations will contribute meaningfully to those
goals and to the development of the high-standard, 21St century, regional trade
agreement we are seeking.
The participation of Japan, a major
U.S. trading partner as well as close ally, further increases the economic
significance of a TPP Agreement. Japan is currently the fourth-largest goods
trading partner of the United States. The United States exported $70 billion in
goods to Japan in 2012 and an estimated $47 billion in services in 2012. With
Japan’s entry, TPP countries would account for nearly 40 percent of global GDP
and about one-third of all world trade.
In
light of Japan’s interest in participating in negotiations that are both
advanced and quickly moving toward completion, we focused in our bilateral
consultations with Japan on its readiness to pursue the high-standard,
comprehensive objectives that the TPP countries are seeking. We also focused on
seeking to ensure that Japan’s participation would not slow down the
negotiations as we have arrived at an advanced stage of the negotiations and
TPP countries are aiming to conclude them this year. In response and with full
recognition of the above, Japan has confirmed that it will participate
positively and constructively in the negotiations. Japan also has confirmed
that it will subject all goods to negotiation — both agricultural and
manufactured goods — and will join the other TPP countries to achieve a
high-standard and comprehensive agreement this
year.
In
addition, and as a result of in-depth, detailed consultations with Japan since
February 2012 on specific bilateral issues of concern in the automotive and
insurance sectors, as well as on nontariff measures that Japan maintains in
other areas, we concluded and announced on April 12, 2013, a robust package of
agreements with Japan and actions by Japan. In recognition of the importance of
addressing long-standing, serious concerns with Japan in the automotive sector,
we reached agreement with Japan with respect to the treatment of US. motor
vehicle tariffs, and also
agreed to conduct bilateral, parallel negotiations on a range of issues of
concern to the United States in the automotive sector, including to address
non-tariff measures. We view these negotiations as a key opportunity to level
the playing field for US. companies, which continue to face a wide range of
barriers in this sector. The outcomes of these bilateral negotiations on motor
vehicles will be incorporated as commitments in our final bilateral market
access package in the TPP Agreement and subject to dispute settlement.
Furthermore, we have agreed to bilateral, parallel negotiations with Japan on
other non-tariff measures, including in the insurance sector, as an additional
avenue for the United States to address a range of additional sector specific
and cross-cutting issues. We will consult rigorously and extensively with the
Congress on the elements of these bilateral, parallel negotiations as we
proceed.
We
also will continue to consult rigorously and extensively with Congress on all
elements of the TPP negotiations as they proceed. As we have done thus far, we
will work with Congress as we use the TPP Agreement to promote new technologies
and emerging economic sectors, create new opportunities for US. exporters,
including small- and medium-sized businesses, in the region, and help US. firms
participate in production and supply chains in order to encourage investment
and production in the United States. In addition, we will continue to consult
closely with Congress on elements related to environmental protection and
conservation, transparency, workers’ rights and protections, and development.
We
value the partnership we have established with Congress on the TPP negotiations
and look forward to maintaining it as we discuss U.S. objectives and carry out
negotiations to conclude this important new agreement.
Sincerely,
Ambassador
Dem'etrios Marantis Acting United States Trade Representative