trade and export information

The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

The EU and Japan's Economic Partnership Agreement entered into force on 1 February 2019. The EPA effectively entailed a large opening of the Japanese market. In the past, European firms faced trade barriers when exporting to Japan, which sometimes made it hard for them to compete.

The trade agreement with Japan:

• removes tariffs and other trade barriers and creates a platform to cooperate in order to prevent obstacles to trade; and
• helps shape global trade rules in line with the high standards and shared values of EU, and;
• sends a powerful signal that two of the world's biggest economies reject protectionism.

Among other things, the agreement has led to a significant reduction in import duties in Japan. For many product groups, tariffs have been eliminated completely, and for other product groups, tariffs will be phased out over the next few years. When fully implemented, over 97% of all tariffs on industrial products will have been eliminated. For food products, 82% of tariffs will be eliminated.

The agreement has also led to the elimination of a number of technical barriers to trade, the harmonisation of international standards, the ongoing assessment of potential trade-impeding legislation and a reporting system for unforeseen trade barriers.

Read more about free trade agreements and how it affects your business here: Free Trade Agreements