September 29, 2014
Len Bracken

Matt Blunt, president of the American Automotive POLICY Council (AAPC), which represents Ford, General Motors and Chrysler on trade policy issues, told Bloomberg BNA that it would be very difficult for USTR to reach an agreement with Japan.

“There's a decades-long history of closing Japan's AUTOMOTIVE MARKET through nontariff barriers and currency manipulation,” AAPC President Matt Blunt told Bloomberg BNA. “The Japanese mercantilist policies when it comes to the automotive sector and protectionist policies when it comes to agriculture make it extremely difficult to complete a real free trade agreement with Japan in a way that is fair to the United States and American workers.”

AAPC sees potential benefits for its members in the TPP agreement but will not support the pact unless it includes meaningful provisions against currency manipulation. Such provisions are not under negotiation, according to U.S. trade officials.

Source
Bloomberg BNA