ABSTRACT
The political and economic advantages for Japan of participation in an extensive free trade treaty have been set out. If that condition is satisfied, then the wider the extent of the free trade treaty the better from her point of view. The competition has been encountered in foreign markets, but it may invade the home market as Japan's wage costs rise with her growing shortage of labour. Critics of Japan's attitude in this matter have suggested that control by foreigners would be unlikely to go very far even in the absence of restrictions. On coming to the objections to the liberalisation of agricultural products, however, a very different attitude is met. Agriculture is perhaps the most “sensitive” area of trade policy.
