JOINT STATEMENT ON JAPAN-U.S. COOPERATION FOR JAPAN’SRECOVERY
Japan-U.S. Business Council/U.S.-Japan Business Council
July 2011
The U.S.-Japan relationship is a cornerstone for prosperity, peace, and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.
The two countries share a bond - "Kizuna" - that was unequivocally reaffirmed in the wake of the tragic
events of March 11 through initiatives such as Operation Tomodachi. The Japan-U.S. Business Council(JUBC) and U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) have deep sympathy for the people affected by thetragedy in Northeastern Japan, and great admiration for those from both countries who have worked andwho are working at this moment so hard in the relief and recovery efforts.
Today, the Japanese economy and people continue to display remarkable resilience. The JUBC andUSJBC are concerned about global perceptions regarding overall conditions in Japan, however, and callon governments, companies, tourists and consumers to assess the situation in a clear and objective manner.
Japan is absolutely “Open for Business” – it is a vibrant and safe place to visit and do business.
The Japanese and U.S. governments and business communities can help overcome this perception issue
by: (1) cooperating in disseminating easily accessible and understandable information about safety
standards and best practices for radiation levels to prevent unjustified discrimination against Japanese
products; and (2) spearheading a sustained public/private education and promotion campaign to provide
accurate information to potential travelers in Asia, the United States, and Europe.
While aid is a vital part of recovery and reconstruction efforts, achieving sustainable growth in the overall
economy will ultimately be the best way to foster recovery in the disaster- hit Tohoku region. With this inmind, we urge the Japanese government to embrace a robust transformational agenda so that Japan canbuild on its strengths in trade and investment with the rapidly growing economies of the Asia-Pacificregion. Japan’s commitment to participate in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is one promising way to
do that, given that the TPP countries account for 25% of Japan's total trade and 41% of its direct
investment balance.

In the short term, this would be the most powerful signal Japan could send that it is indeed “Open forBusiness” and that it welcomes foreign trade and investment, which would directly lead to Japanese
economic recovery and reconstruction. Over the longer term, a high-standard trade agreement such as
TPP would help drive Japan’s future economic growth and competitiveness by lowering tariff and nontariff barriers to Japanese exports and imports of goods and services, providing better trade andinvestment rules and systems such as protecting intellectual property, enhancing cross-border physicalconnectivity to strengthen production and supply chains, removing entry barriers to spur innovation andfoster new industries, and ensuring that science-based and internationally accepted standards are applied
to Japanese industrial and agricultural products. These and other improvements in the Japanese businessenvironment achieved through TPP are essential to enhance Japan as a place for Japanese and foreigncompanies to invest and expand businesses, thus increasing job opportunities.
The JUBC and USJBC believe that now is the time that the economic bond between Japan and the UnitedStates should be further strengthened and valued. To this end, the JUBC and USJBC urge the Japanese
government to make clear its decision to join the TPP negotiations by no later than the APEC meetings inNovember 2011. The JUBC and USJBC further believe that Japan and the United States should lead theestablishment of the Free Trade Agreement in the Asia-Pacific in the near future, and Japan’s
participation in TPP is the first step in this process.
As time is of the essence, the JUBC and USJBC strongly urge both governments to move swiftly on theseand other fronts to spur renewed economic vitality. Moreover, the JUBC and USJBC urge theGovernment of Japan to outline appropriate ways that the U.S. Government and private sector can support
reconstruction and recovery in line with Japanese needs as defined and requested by the Government ofJapan and the Japanese people. The JUBC and USJBC are hopeful that with the continued cooperation
between the governments and private sectors of both countries, with building the framework of the TPP at
the top of the list, the U.S.-Japan relationship "Kizuna" can emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.