A new economic partnership framework advocated by the United States, the IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework) ministerial-level meeting was held in Los Angeles, and the first day of discussions just ended.
The IPEF is a framework in which 14 countries, including Japan, the United States, India, and Australia participate. I'm here.
At the meeting on the first day, the participants discussed preparing for a situation in which the supply of important materials such as semiconductors would be interrupted, promoting the establishment of a system to minimize the impact, and coordinating efforts toward a stable supply of energy and a transition to decarbonization. It means that we have gained a common understanding among the countries on how to move forward while doing so.
Unlike previous economic partnerships, the IPEF will not target the elimination or reduction of tariffs, and will focus on four areas such as "supply chain" and "clean economy". , the focus is on whether we can declare the start of negotiations in all areas.
At the end of the first day's meeting, Minister Nishimura told reporters, "We've made some pretty important progress. We're one step closer to achieving results, but I want to hold thorough discussions until the end so that we can start negotiations." said.