ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the free trade agreements (FTA) negotiations between Mexico and Japan, which came to deal more deeply with the agricultural problem. The discussion focuses on the patterns of opposition and coordination between political actors. The chapter investigates how agriculture was dealt with in Japan's FTA negotiation process and why interested parties from the agriculture industry relented and agreed to conclude the FTA. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) had been actively involved in organizing FTA negotiations because they are fast-track negotiations. However, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) sharply criticized the MOFA and the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) for their failure to play their roles of organizing and coordinating FTA negotiations. The chapter discusses a domestic politics approach, modifying it by applying the key concept of "inner adjustment," and focuses on the conflicts and bargaining among agriculture-related groups.
