Japan PM Abe: Japan considered the TPP a “global standard”

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reporting comments from the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, noting that he would continue to advocate free trade, while officials said they hadn’t given up on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), despite President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw from the deal.

Government spokesman Koichi Hagiuda said it was “meaningless” to have the TPP without the US, adding that, “Without the U.S., it would lose the fundamental balance of benefits."

Japan’s trade minister Seko, noted, “We want to continue to explain to the U.S. about the strategic and economic merits of the TPP.”

While speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, PM Abe noted Japan would pursue other trade agreements and considered the TPP a “global standard” that other agreements should follow.

Abe said, “On the basis of the TPP, we will pursue an early agreement with the European Union on free trade. As a leading proponent of global free trade, we will steadily implement measures to strengthen the domestic economy, including farm reform.”