European farmers are to benefit from a new free trade agreement between the EU and Japan, with 85 percent of agri-food exports to be liberalised over time.
The Economic Partnership Agreement removes the vast majority of the €1 billion of duties paid annually by EU companies exporting to Japan.
Once the agreement is fully implemented, Japan will have scrapped customs duties on 97% of goods imported from the EU.
The agreement also breaks down barriers for key EU food and drink exporters to 127 million Japanese consumers.
Annual trade between the EU and Japan could increase by nearly €36 billion once the agreement is implemented in full.
With regards to agricultural exports from the EU, the agreement will, in particular, scrap Japanese duties on many cheeses such as Gouda and Cheddar as well as on wine exports.
The agreement will allow the EU to increase its beef exports to Japan substantially, while on pork there will be duty-free trade in processed meat and almost duty-free trade for fresh meat.
It will also ensure the protection in Japan of more than 200 high-quality European agricultural products, so called Geographical Indications (GIs), and the protection of a selection of Japanese GIs in the EU.
The trade agreement follows news of Japan lifting its import restriction on UK beef three years earlier than planned following its 1996 BSE ban.
Japan’s ministry of health said that, following discussions with the British government and inspections in the UK which took place last year, “the import of British beef and bovine organs will restart”. An import ban on British lamb will also be lifted.
Japan is keen on striking up a deal with the UK after Brexit. Japan's prime minister, Shinzo Abe, said that Britain could retain its 'global strength' if it joined the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal after it leaves the EU.
