House resolution filed urging Senate to junk JPEPA

A resolution has been filed by the progressive party-list block in Congress urging the Senate to junk the controversial Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement for being "one-sided, onerous and inimical to national interest."

House Resolution 1435, which was filed today by representatives of Bayan Muna, Anakpawis and Gabriela, said it was apparent in the JPEPA that Japan used its undue advantage as the world’s second biggest economy to get a better concessions out of the bilateral treaty.

"The toxic waste scandal is only the tip of the iceberg. With JPEPA, Japan will dump not only toxic waste but also second hand vehicles, spare parts, household appliances and many other products to the detriment of our local manufacturers," warned Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño, principal author of the resolution.

"The so-called liberalization of trade specifically in the industrial manufactures sector which would purportedly be a boon to Filipinos is not true," he said

"With Japanese firms dominating the Philippine industrial-manufactures sector and whose exports are basically re-exports of Japanese parts anyway, its like the Japanese made an agreement with themselves. At least six of the top 20 exporters in the said sector are Japanese-owned," he revealed.

"Hence, the supposed growth of said industry bought about by the reduction/elimination of Japan’s tariffs will not impact substantially on Filipino industries, specifically Filipino SME’s that are into exporting," he continued.

The activist-solon also bared that the Department of Trade and Industry’s statements that the agreement fosters well for Philippine agricultural exports is inaccurate.

"Bananas, the Philippine’s primary agricultural export to Japan, did not receive immediate reduction/ removal of tariffs. The Japanese pegged the tariff on Philippine bananas at 10%-20% (depending on the classification) and only agreed to removal of tariffs after 11 years," Casiño bared.

"Even worse is the fate of Philippine pineapples, with Japan refusing to remove quantitative restrictions which is the worst form of trade barrier," he continued.

Philippine bananas constitutes about 58% of total Japanese imported bananas while Philippine pineapples occupy 7% of Japanese imported pineapples. For the Philippines, 79% of our exported bananas and 98% of our exported pineapples are bound for Japan.

"In contrast," Casiño explained, "Most Japanese export to the Philippines receive immediate tariff reductions/removals. Japanese electronicappliances receive immediate tariff reductions/removals as well as vehicle parts including knocked down engines and other ’chop-chop’ vspare parts reinforcing the argument that the JPEPA will eventually make the Philippines a dumping ground for Japanese rejects."


Source: bilaterals.org