JAPAN
and EU have decided to launch official negotiations on a comprehensive free
trade agreement in goods, services and investment in April 2013.
The
agreement would cover political, global and sectoral cooperation and an Economic
Partnership Agreement or Free Trade Agreement. The agreement is intended to
eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers for a level playing field and cover
trade-related matters, like public procurement for Japan's railways and urban
transport market, besides regulatory issues. The first round of negotiations is
scheduled to be held in Brussels from April 15 to 19 this year.
Japan
is EU’s seventh largest global trading partner, and second biggest trade partner
in Asia after China.
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