Japan Bilateral Agreements
Other countries are other targets that are creeping into Japan`s bilateral trade agenda: in early 2005, Japan began exploring possible talks with Switzerland, and the actual negotiations began in 2007. In 2006, spurred on by concerns about access to energy resources, Japan began talks on a free trade agreement with Kuwait and other oil- and gas-rich countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). There is also growing concern about the trade disadvantages for Japanese companies internationally, leading to free trade agreements with Brazil, South Africa, New Zealand and even discussions on an agreement between the United States and Japan. At the end of 2011, Japan expressed interest in negotiating a free trade agreement with Burma. In March 2012, signs of free trade negotiations were coming with Mongolia and Canada. In order to support trade relations between the EU and Japan, informal bilateral dialogues and other specific initiatives have been set up: Japan has notoriously belatedly joined the “bilateral train”. Until the late 1990s, the government secured most of its bets on multilateral negotiations aimed at opening foreign markets to the interests of Japanese companies. However, Japan is increasingly suffering from the loss of market share generated by free trade agreements between other countries. Because of NAFTA, for example, Japan urgently needed its own contract with Mexico so that its products would benefit from the same tariffs in the Mexican market as those from the United States. A list of other trade agreements and EPAs concluded by Japan, as well as those under negotiation, can be found on this link from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Japan had also concluded Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with these 14 countries and ASEAN: to date, six important agreements have been concluded between the EU and Japan. Until recently, Japan focused its bilateral negotiating agenda on a few Pacific countries. Important agreements have been signed with Singapore (2002), Malaysia (2004), Mexico (2004), the Philippines (2006), Indonesia (2007), Chile (2007), Thailand (2007), ASEAN as a whole (2008) and Vietnam (2008). Notable agreements include the Japan-European Union (EU) EPA, which entered into force in February 2019. A text of the agreement can be found here. In 2018, Japan and six other countries (Australia, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Singapore, Vietnam) signed and ratified the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Four other countries (Brunei, Chile, Malaysia, Peru) have not yet ratified the CPTPP. Describes the trade agreements in which this country is involved. Provides resources for U.S. companies to obtain information on the use of these agreements. National opposition to free trade agreements crystallized around the announcement of the Japanese government`s intention to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). In 2011 and 2012, there were large demonstrations against the agreement to undermine food security that the liberalisation of agriculture under the proposed agreement, particularly with regard to rice, could entail.
Zenrors (National Confederation of Trade Unions) also opposes the deal, with concerns about job losses, opening up the economy to US capital and the erosion of living standards and working conditions. Many Japanese opponents view the TPP primarily as a bilateral free trade agreement with the United States. For more information on sector agreements between the United States and Japan, visit the Department of Commerce`s enforcement and Compliance website. On December 31, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS Message #41149692. Additional compliance guidelines will be made available as soon as possible. In October 2019, the United States and Japan signed the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement, which entered into effect on January 1, 2020. The U.S.-Japan trade agreement eliminates or lowers tariffs on about $7.2 billion of U.S.
agricultural exports, and the U.S.-Japan Digital Trade Agreement includes high-quality provisions that ensure data can be transferred across borders without restrictions, ensure consumer privacy protection, promote adherence to common principles to address cybersecurity challenges and support the effective use of encryption technologies. and boosting digital trade. The EU and Japan meet regularly to discuss issues and best practices in the implementation of the agreement. To receive preferential treatment, a good must be originating and meet all the requirements of the United States-Japan Agreement. The EU has negotiated an Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan. The EU and Japan have concluded an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which entered into force on 1 February 2019. With a more general Strategic Partnership Agreement, which has been provisionally applied since the same date, it has become the cornerstone of a strengthened relationship between the EU and Japan. On 23 October 2020, Japan and the United Kingdom signed a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA). The two governments had previously agreed by videoconference on 11 September on this agreement, largely based on the Economic Partnership Agreement between Japan and the European Union. The trade agreement between Japan and the United Kingdom has not yet been approved by the Japanese Parliament and the British Parliament, which both governments are expected to receive by the end of the year for entry into force on 1 January 2021.
A full text of the agreement is available from the Japanese Foreign Office (here) and a summary from the UK government (here). In mid-2006, Tokyo announced the start of free trade negotiations with Brunei, which were concluded in 2007. The agreements between Japan and Brunei and Indonesia are unique in that they guarantee Tokyo access to oil and gas supplies. 1. LIBERALIZATION OF MARKET ACCESS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND JAPAN In mid-2006, Japan went so far as to propose a freely available comprehensive free trade agreement in East Asia covering Japan, ASEAN, India, China, Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Asean, among others, gave this idea a cool answer. TRADE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES and Japan Annex 1: Tariffs and Tariff Provisions Japan`s Annex II to the Agreement sets out the rules of origin used to determine whether a good is eligible for preferential tariff treatment or originates in the Agreement. The product-specific rules (Annex II to the Agreement) specify the degree of change in the tariff classification to which non-originating materials must be subject. General Note 36 is added to the HTSUS and contains the requirements of the agreement.
Links to the text of the U.S.-Japan trade agreement and related documents can be found below. Under President Trump`s leadership, the United States and Japan agreed on the first results of the negotiations in the areas of market access for certain agricultural and industrial products, as well as digital trade. The United States looks forward to further negotiations with Japan for a comprehensive agreement that removes remaining tariff and non-tariff barriers and achieves fairer and more balanced trade. In 2018, the EU recorded a surplus of €13 billion in services trade with Japan. The total use of services by the EU and Japan accounts for around 35% of total trade in goods between the EU and Japan. .