ＴＰＰ オバマ政府から米議会への通知全文

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。

1. 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。


2. 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。


3. 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 *

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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