コメなど重要５項目は除外　関税減免、１５日合意目指す―ＲＣＥＰ

　日本と中国、韓国、東南アジア諸国連合（ＡＳＥＡＮ）加盟国など１５カ国が参加する東アジア地域包括的経済連携（ＲＣＥＰ）交渉で、日本が「聖域」と位置付けるコメ、牛・豚肉など農産品重要５項目が関税撤廃・削減の対象から除外される見通しとなったことが１０日、分かった。１５カ国は１５日の首脳会合で大筋合意を目指す。
　５項目にはほかに、麦と乳製品、砂糖の原料が含まれる。国内に安価な海外産品の輸入急増を警戒する生産者が多く、２０１８年末発効の環太平洋連携協定（ＴＰＰ）、１９年発効の欧州連合との経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）でも抜本的な市場開放を見送った。
　一方、日本からの輸出を含め、ＲＣＥＰ全体での貿易自由化率はＴＰＰ（９９％）、日欧ＥＰＡ（９５％超）よりも大幅に低い水準にとどまる。市場開放に慎重な中国や開発途上国が参加しているためで、日本はＲＣＥＰ発効後、関税撤廃や経済ルールの水準を段階的に高めていきたい考え。（2020/11/10-19:53）

Rice, beef and pork, wheat, dairy products and materials for sugar will likely be exempted from tariff cuts or eliminations under the envisaged Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership free trade pact, it was learned Tuesday.
   The five agricultural goods categories are sensitive areas for Japan. Fifteen countries negotiating the RCEP, including Japan, China, South Korea and the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, are aiming to reach a broad agreement at their summit talks on Sunday.
   Under the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact and the Japan-European Union economic partnership agreement, which went into effect in late 2018 and last year, respectively, the Japanese government avoided drastic market-opening measures for these agricultural products amid strong concerns among domestic farmers over an influx of cheap foreign imports.
   The trade liberalization rate for RCEP as a whole, including exports from Japan, is expected to be far lower than 99 pct for the TPP and some 95 pct for the Japan-EU EPA, due to the inclusion of China, which is cautious about market liberalization, and developing countries in the envisioned pact.
   Japan hopes to gradually expand tariff cuts and raise the standards of economic rules under RCEP after it takes effect.