Post japan tracking

Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe landed in Beijing, China, on Thursday, the first such visit by a Japanese head of government since 2011. Reports indicate that the two countries expect to sign dozens of memoranda of understanding, particular on trade, where China has worked to convince Japan to join its Belt and Road Initiative. The initiative, also known as “One Belt, One Road” (OBOR), is nominally an attempt to recreate the Ancient Silk Road, connecting trade routes from Beijing to Western Europe, both on land and sea. In practice, China has used the initiative to lure developing nations into predatory loans with high interests rates, triggering economic crises and forcing some nations to hand over control of some of their sovereign territory to the Chinese. In Africa, opponents of the deal cite reports of colonialist “apartheid” practices, segregating local African workers from imported Chinese supervisors and abusing their labor.China has long hoped … [Read more...] about China Expected to Lure Japan into Belt and Road Project During Abe Visit to Beijing

Biosimilar uptake in Japan has been a bit mixed, but according to experts the volume shares of biosimilars suggests it could be a key market in years to come.[1] The Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA), which is the agency responsible for approval of biologicals, approved the first biosimilar – Sandoz's recombinant human growth hormone somatropin – in 2009, and has approved eight biosimilars since. These products fall within the product classes of human growth hormone, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, erythropoiesis stimulating agent, insulin and a tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-inhibitor.[2]There are a number of key factors that determine the uptake of biosimilars in Japan. One of which is how the product is used in Diagnostic Procedure Combination (DPC) hospitals and also the reimbursement costs under the medical care benefit program of the National Health Insurance scheme.[3] To give an example of the variability in uptake, Filgrastim BS, first … [Read more...] about Biosimilar Uptake and Patent Litigation in Japan

Congressional leaders are working to find a way to pass legislation that would give President Obama fast-track authority to negotiate a trade deal that will potentially govern 40 percent of U.S. imports and exports. The Trade Act of 2015 [also referred to as “Trade Promotion Authority” (TPA) or “fast-track trade authority”], would allow the President to negotiate the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade deal with limited congressional interference.Republican leadership in both chambers is using complicated legislative maneuvers to advance the legislation – a top priority for the Obama administration. The Senate has already passed a version of the bill. But, earlier this month, Democrats in the House, under significant pressure from labor unions who strongly oppose the measure, voted against part of the legislative package they would normally support – Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits for workers hurt by trade deals. The TAA … [Read more...] about Congress Still Debating Fast Track Trade Authority for Trans-Pacific Partnership Negotiations

The President has constitutional authority to negotiate trade agreements.  But when the agreements call for changes in US laws, they must be implemented through the Congress.  Such legislation is typically considered under special procedures known as “fast track” or Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) whereby Congress agrees to consider the agreement within a limited period of time and to forgo the opportunity to amend the agreement. TPA protections allow the US to negotiate the best deal possible with trading partners because our trading partners can be assured that the agreement will not be picked apart by Congressional amendments. Unlike his predecessors, President Obama has not had TPA during his tenure.  He did not seek this authority in his first term.  President Obama asked for TPA in his State of the Union address this year, but Senate Majority Leader Reid immediately announced that he would not allow TPA to be … [Read more...] about Trade Promotion Authority: Post Mid-term Election

TOKYO (Reuters) – Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s ruling coalition is set to win a solid majority in an upper house election later this week, keeping alive his dream to revise Japan’s pacifist constitution, a survey showed on Monday. Abe’s Liberal Democratic party (LDP) and its coalition partner Komeito together are on track to win as many as 83 seats, well over the 63 seats needed for a majority of the 124 seats to be contested on Sunday, the poll by the Nikkei business daily conducted late last week showed. Similar polls taken by other media outlets, including the Kyodo news agency, showed support for the LDP had increased to 31.0% of all respondents, up 2 percentage points from a similar poll last month. Support for Komeito was unchanged at 5.6%. Such a showing could enable the ruling bloc and other smaller parties including the Japan Innovation Party, which support constitutional revisions, to maintain their “super majority”, or two-thirds of the … [Read more...] about Japan PM Abe’s ruling bloc set for solid upper house win