ＩＰＥＦ閣僚会合へ協力確認　西村経産相、米通商代表と

　【ワシントン時事】西村康稔経済産業相は３１日、米通商代表部（ＵＳＴＲ）のタイ代表とオンラインで会談した。米国が主導する新経済圏構想「インド太平洋経済枠組み（ＩＰＥＦ）」の閣僚級会合が米ロサンゼルスで来週開催されるのを前に、日米の協力強化を確認。西村氏が経産相就任後にタイ氏と会談したのは初めて。
　ＩＰＥＦに参加表明した日米など１４カ国は、９月８、９両日に初めて対面形式の閣僚級会合を開き、正式な交渉開始の合意を目指す。タイ氏は交渉分野の一つである貿易分野を担当。ＵＳＴＲによると、タイ氏は西村氏の就任に祝意を伝えた上で、ＩＰＥＦ会議に向けて意見を交わした。（2022/09/01-05:53）

Japanese trade minister Yasutoshi Nishimura and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai agreed on Wednesday to strengthen cooperation between their countries ahead of a ministerial meeting next week of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity initiative.
   The IPEF ministerial meeting, scheduled to take place in Los Angeles for two days from Sept. 8, will be attended by officials from Japan, the United States and 12 other countries that have announced their plans to join the U.S.-led trade initiative. The participants are expected to agree to start formal negotiations.
   On Wednesday, Nishimura and Tai had their first talks, online, since the Japanese minister took office last month. Tai congratulated Nishimura on his appointment, and the two exchanged views on the upcoming IPEF meeting, according to the Office of the USTR.
   On Aug. 25, the USTR office announced that it and Japan's trade and foreign ministries held the second round of talks between their senior officials on a Japan-U.S. trade cooperation framework.
   Following the recent talks, Nishimura and Tai reaffirmed their nations' cooperation over digital trade, for which high-standard rules will be drawn up in IPEF negotiations, as well as the correction of unfair trade practices by third countries and the eradication of forced labor, apparently with China in mind.