A partnership good for Japan and the European Union

Japan and the European Union already have strong economic bonds. However, the new and wide-ranging EPA agreement promises to open up a new era of trade, thereby strengthening existing ties even further. After all, trade between Japan and the EU is about more than quotas and tariffs; it's also about values, principles and quality.

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What's new?

Read our factsheet on high quality, reliable and full of flavour – why Japanese and EU ingredients are a perfect match.

EU food and drinks are produced to the highest standards, making them sustainable, nutritious and delicious. Read more!

Find out more in our safety factsheet about strict controls on EU food and drinks ensure that people, animals and the environment are protected.

EU food and drinks are the ‘real deal’ – made with passion, pride and often centuries of experience Learn more in our factsheet.

Latest updates:

brochureperfectmatch

Brochure - A taste of the EU

Tariffs have been cut on a huge range of food and drink imports from the EU, which means businesses in Japan can now access top-quality, safe and authentic products that are the ‘Perfect Match’ for their customers.

Find out why Japan and the EU are the ‘Perfect Match’
Events
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Successful seminar promotes European meats on the Japanese market

Past Event
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Cooking workshop celebrates culinary harmony between Europe and Japan

Past Event
Kaijirushi Cooking Workshop picture

A Perfect Match

The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between Japan and the European Union came into force on 1 February 2019.

It creates a marketplace of roughly 568 million consumers and business people, who represent almost a third of the world’s Gross Domestic Product. Consumers in Japan and Europe now have access to more choice, greater volume and better price-quality.

It’s a Perfect Match. The EPA protects certified Japanese products in Europe and certified European products in Japan, such as Japanese Kobe Beef and Austrian Tiroler Speck. But it also offers small businesses opportunities to develop new markets.

The EPA eliminates a series of Japanese taxes on wines and a selection of cheeses imported from the EU, and offers better access to fresh and processed meat products.

In summary, the new trade agreement will:

  • Simplify customs procedures for imports and exports
  • Eliminate import tariffs on wine and many European cheeses
  • Reduce import tariffs on European beef
  • Reduce import tariffs on pork
  • Protect over 200 high-quality European agricultural products, so called Geographical Indications (GIs), and Japanese GIs in the EU
  • Create more opportunities for trade in processed foods such as pasta, chocolates and confectionary, and biscuits

Discover the text of the EU and Japan's Economic Partnership Agreement and more information on market access, as well as Exporters’ stories.

EU exports to Japan

An interactive map provides more information on EU businesses exporting to Japan with factsheets presenting the impact for each EU Member State (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, The Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden).

The European Union supports selected EU businesses with their exports to Japan via co-financing. An interactive map highlights the funded programmes running in Japan.

More Information

Find more information in the brochure on Perfect Match campaign.

More information on EU agriculture and a factsheet.

More information on EU Food safety and sanitary and phytosanitary measures (animal and plant health).

More information on The Organic logo.