U.S. Urges Japan to Open Markets Further

Oct. 19, 2007
Wants Japan to deregulate medical and pharmaceutical industries

Singling out the medical, pharmaceutical and insurance sectors, the U.S. urged Japan on Oct. 18 to take further steps in opening and deregulating its markets.

As part of an annual review of trade relations, the office of the U.S. Trade Representative submitted a list of items seen as priorities for improving bilateral ties. "The U.S. is counting on Japan to remain firmly on the path toward greater economic reform and more open markets. This is a win-win proposition for both our countries," U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab said. "These tangible reform steps will help boost growth and opportunity by lowering costs, raising efficiency, and spurring new innovative products and services that will benefit all Japanese citizens."

Assistant U.S. Trade Representative Wendy Cutler presented the U.S. recommendations, which include easing regulations for medical devices and pharmaceuticals as well as steps that help ensure fair competition in markets where the new Japan Post companies compete with private companies.

In the medical sector, Washington urged an end to regulatory delays in the introduction of new devices and fair pricing for imported drugs.

The report contained a range of other reform recommendations spanning telecommunications, financial services and other sectors.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007

Popular Sponsored Recommendations

Empowering the Modern Workforce: The Power of Connected Worker Technologies

March 1, 2024
Explore real-world strategies to boost worker safety, collaboration, training, and productivity in manufacturing. Emphasizing Industry 4.0, we'll discuss digitalization and automation...

3 Best Practices to Create a Product-Centric Competitive Advantage with PRO.FILE PLM

Jan. 25, 2024
Gain insight on best practices and strategies you need to accelerate engineering change management and reduce time to market. Register now for your opportunity to accelerate your...

How Manufacturers Can Optimize Operations with Weather Intelligence

Nov. 2, 2023
The bad news? Severe weather has emerged as one of the biggest threats to continuity and safety in manufacturing. The good news? The intelligence solutions that build weather ...

Transformative Capabilities for XaaS Models in Manufacturing

Feb. 14, 2024
The manufacturing sector is undergoing a pivotal shift toward "servitization," or enhancing product offerings with services and embracing a subscription model. This transition...

Voice your opinion!

To join the conversation, and become an exclusive member of IndustryWeek, create an account today!