With the world’s largest free-trade zone to be set a sign against the trade policy of the US President, wants the EU. The agreement with Japan occurs this Friday. From Brussels Bernd Riegert.
It also goes without the USA and their isolationism polarized President. This is the political message of the trade agreement between the EU and Japan, which meets this Friday. Europeans and Japanese, after six years of negotiations, the largest free-trade zone in the world, comprising more than 600 million people and about a third of global economic output.
“The Euro-Japanese partnership agreements (EPA) meets the expectations of the economy in Japan and in the EU. Thus, Japan and the EU to send as a torch-bearer of free trade, a sign of the liberalisation of the world,” says the Japanese Embassy at the EU in Brussels on your website.
After the TTIP: the Biggest free-trade zone worldwide
Also, the EU trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström sees great opportunities for Export in both directions. “We want to shape globalisation to the benefit of our citizens and companies. This is a strong message in favour of free trade under global rules,” said Malmström at the launch of the agreement with a view in the direction of the White house.
Still significantly larger than the EPO, the TRANS-Atlantic would have become a free-trade agreement (TTIP) between the EU and the USA. Criticism of TTIP on both sides, but it was U.S. President Donald Trump, who did not want the negotiations to continue.
Trump operates duties instead of Criminal, to operate trade policy. Currently, the Europeans are trying to negotiate with the US government, at least on certain sectors, in order to prevent, for example, import duties on cars.
A trade agreement of the USA with Japan in the framework of a TRANS-Pacific agreement (TPP) were removed by Trump.
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EU-Japan trade agreement: In July of 2018, sign Tusk and Abe
The agreements of the EU with Japan always remained a little under the radar screen of the Public. It was argued, rather, the volume is much smaller, agreement with Canada (CETA).
This can also be due to the fact that the agreement with Japan, had to be different than CETA, will not be ratified by all 28 EU member States. Some controversial agreements, for example on arbitration courts for protection of your investment, were excluded.
What does it say in the agreement with Japan? Here are the main points:
Industrial goods
Duties on European Goods in Japan in the amount of one billion Euro fall to a large extent. Industrial products can be sold without additional certification or testing in the Japanese market.
The EU sweeps, in return, import duties (10 – 22 percent) for Japanese cars, what was Tokyo is particularly important. Japanese car manufacturers like Nissan or Toyota will be able to ship cars directly from Japanese factories duty-free.
So far, vehicles for the EU was built-the market in the United Kingdom in order to circumvent customs duties. This is not worth more after the Brexit likely to be because vehicles from the soon-to-be third country the UK, taxes could be due.
Export port Honmuku: Japanese cars coming soon-free customs on the EU-market
Food
Japan is in the future, more meat products, dairy products, and wine in the country. The duties on these products, such as the 30 per cent levy on Gouda cheese from Europe. The EU trade Commissioner expected to increase exports of processed foods by 180 percent, which would mean an additional turnover of 10 billion euros.
However, only the agricultural would benefit large farms in the EU. Small-scale farmers in the EU and Japan would suffer, so the anti-globalisation lobby organisation “attac” in comments to the trade agreement.
More opportunities for cheese from Europe: Gouda duty-free to Tokyo in may
Services
Parts of the service sector to be liberalised. EU companies can participate in the future tenders of Contracting authorities in Japan. The same applies Vice versa for companies from Japan wanting to do business in the EU.
Specifically, the “services of General interest are excluded, however,” where the public sector can also decide that the water, electricity or gas supply to be effected by the state and not be privatized.
Lobby groups had criticized that this General interest was not protected in the Treaty with Japan be sufficient. The Chairman of the trade Committee in the European Parliament, Bernd Lange (SPD), has rejected it repeatedly. “The water supply is expressly excluded,” says Long.
Standards
The EU and Japan are committed to the highest Standards of consumer, worker and environmental protection. For the first time, the Paris-based UN agreement on climate protection are part of a commercial contract.
The globalization critics of the “attac” to see this agreement as a sham. A quick response to health or environmental risks posed by some products, is no longer possible, complained about “attac”. The EU Commission rejects this Interpretation. The so-called EU-precautionary principle, according to which certain products can be taken in the event of danger in delay, even without scientific proof from the market, will not be touched.
The Federation of German industries (BDI), praised the agreement with Japan. Stefan Mair of the BDI management Board also called for further steps by the EU in this direction.
“Europe must now stay the course and let more trade and investment protection agreements, as with Singapore, and Vietnam did not fail,” says Mair. “The EU would open the economic gate to the growth region of Southeast Asia, and show that they can protect European investments abroad effectively.”
The EU Parliament is about the agreement with Singapore was on 13. February vote.