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PRESS RELEASE: PRESS/TPRB/276

TRADE POLICY REVIEW:

Economic recovery but continued reform is needed

Japan’s economic situation has improved since the previous Trade Policy Review in 2005 and the country seems to be getting out of deflation. Progress has been made in improving the competitive environment and in promoting structural reforms in the energy and services sectors, according to the WTO Secretariat report on the trade policies and practices of Japan.

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The report notes that Japan’s inward Foreign Direct Investment is still low compared with other large economies, and measures are needed to increase its attractiveness to foreign investors. The report also notes the high level of government assistance in agriculture and the low labour productivity in this sector.

Sustained recovery would appear to hinge on continued structural reforms including in the financial, corporate and public sectors, and in strengthening of competition policy and adopting further trade liberalization particularly in agriculture, according to the report.

The report, along with a policy statement by the government of Japan, will be the basis for the eighth Trade Policy Review (TPR) of Japan by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO on 31 January and 2 February 2007.

The WTO report, along with a policy statement by the Government, will be the basis for the Trade Policy Review (TPR) by the Trade Policy Review Body of the WTO.

The following documents are available in MS Word format.

• Secretariat report
  > Contents and summary observations (10 pages, 116KB)
  > Economic environment (13 pages, 349KB)
  > Trade and investment regimes (16 pages, 243KB)
  > Trade policies and practices by measure (32 pages, 614KB)
  > Trade policies by sector (25 pages, 374KB)
  > Appendix tables (19 pages, 1028KB)
    
• Government report (x pages, 167KB)
    

Note  back to top

Trade Policy Reviews are an exercise, mandated in the WTO agreements, in which member countries’ trade and related policies are examined and evaluated at regular intervals. Significant developments that may have an impact on the global trading system are also monitored. For each review, two documents are prepared: a policy statement by the government of the member under review, and a detailed report written independently by the WTO Secretariat. These two documents are then discussed by the WTO’s full membership in the Trade Policy Review Body (TPRB). These documents and the proceedings of the TPRB’s meetings are published shortly afterwards.

Print copies of previous TPR publications are available for sale from the WTO Secretariat, Centre William Rappard, 154 rue de Lausanne, 1211 Genève 21 and through the on-line bookshop.

The TPR publications are also available from our co-publisher Bernan Press, 4611-F Assembly Drive, Lanham, MD 20706-4391, United States.

Schedule of forthcoming reviews  back to top

Argentina: 12 and 14 February 2007
European Communities: 26 and 28 February 2007
Australia: 5 and 7 March 2007

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