Japan | Brussels, 30 June 2017

Trade Commissioners Cecilia Malmström and Agriculture Commissioner Phil Hogan have arrived in Tokyo today for talks with Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister Fumio Kishida and Agriculture Minister Yuji Yamamoto. Negotiations on the agreement with Japan, the fourth richest economy in the world by GDP, started four years ago and have entered their final stage.

As mentioned yesterday by President Juncker in his statement at the G20 preparatory meeting in Berlin, Commissioner Malmström and Commissioner Hogan are currently in Japan to discuss the remaining points in our trade negotiations and pave the way to a swift political agreement.

As President Juncker said: "the trade agreement with Japan, if it materialises, is important. And it will fully comply with all European rules, requirements and standards. The aim is to have an agreement that is ambitious and mutually beneficial; an agreement to shape globalisation in line with European values and in a way that protects defends and empowers our citizens."

Commissioners Malmström explained that: "an ambitious EU-Japan deal would send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that two of the largest economies are resisting protectionism, in favour of openness, of trade and investment. These are the best tools to harness and shape globalisation and create more economic growth and jobs."

Photos of the meeting in Tokyo

More information on the EU-Japan trade deal