日米貿易協定、国会で承認　来年１月１日発効へ

　日米間の関税を撤廃・削減する貿易協定が４日、国会で承認された。参院本会議が自民、公明両党などの賛成多数で可決した。協定は衆院を通過しており、日本国内の手続きが終了した。両国の調整を経て、２０２０年１月１日に発効する見通しだ。
　貿易協定発効で日本は環太平洋連携協定（ＴＰＰ）の自由化水準内で農産物市場を開放する。米国産牛肉の関税は現行の３８．５％から段階的に下がり、３３年度から最終的に９％となる。米国は幅広い工業品の関税を撤廃・削減。自動車・同部品の関税撤廃は見送り、今後の交渉対象とした。日米は協定発効から４カ月以内に、より包括的な貿易交渉を始めるかどうかを協議する。

　日米間の電子商取引などのルールを定めるデジタル貿易協定も４日、国会で承認された。この協定は、政府が企業に技術、情報の開示を強制することを禁ずる内容で、両国は今後の国際ルールに反映させたい考えだ。（2019/12/04-11:17）

The Diet, Japan's parliament, approved Wednesday a recently signed trade agreement between Japan and the United States, with Tokyo and Washington expected to put it into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, after necessary adjustments.
   The pact was approved by a majority vote at a plenary meeting of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, on Wednesday, with support mainly from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and its Komeito ally. It was endorsed by the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, in November.
   Based on the trade deal, which was signed in October, Japan will open its agricultural market within the levels it promised under the Trans-Pacific Partnership multilateral free trade agreement, which entered into force late last year. For example, Japan's tariffs on U.S. beef, now at 38.5 pct, will be reduced in stages until the rate eventually falls to 9 pct in fiscal 2033.
   The United States will abolish or cut its tariffs on a wide range of industrial products from Japan. Meanwhile, the U.S. side will not scrap its tariffs on Japanese automobiles and auto parts, and the two countries will hold further negotiations on the matter.
   Within four months of the deal going into effect, Tokyo and Washington will discuss whether to launch negotiations on a more comprehensive bilateral trade deal.