Commentary: A Japanese Perspective on WTO Agricultural Negotiations

A commentary on Patrick Messerlin's article "Agricultural Trade Liberalization." Yoichi Suzuki joined the Japanese Foreign Ministry in 1975, after having studied international public law at Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo. He also studied at and graduated from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, Paris. He has wide experience dealing with international trade matters. He served in such posts as Director of APEC affairs, Director in charge of the bilateral economic relationship between Japan and the European Union, as well as Director of WTO affairs at the Foreign Ministry. He was Minister and Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the WTO from 1997 to 2002 in Geneva. Subsequently he served as Deputy Director General of the Economic Affairs Bureau of the Japanese Foreign Ministry from 2002 to September 2005 in charge of WTO as well as bilateral FTA negotiations. He chaired the regular sessions of the WTO Agricultural Committee in 2000 and 2001. He is currently Vice Chair of the OECD Trade Committee. He also has experience with commodity issues having chaired the International Natural Rubber Council in 1989 and the International Tropical Timber Council in 1991. Suzuki was appointed Consul-General of Japan in Boston in September 2005.