EU expanding list of nontariff barriers in talks with Japan

24/09/2014 12:00 - 486 Views

BRUSSELS -- The European Commission will seek more concessions on nontariff barriers from Japan as part of negotiations toward an economic partnership agreement, focusing on the automotive sector, including a call for Japan to adopt common safety standards for autoparts.

The executive arm of the European Union is collecting requests from member states and will convey the matter to the government of Japan as soon as next month, according to EU sources.

In April of last year, when negotiations began on the economic partnership agreement, the EU presented a list of 30 nontariff barriers and called on Japan to show some results within 12 months. This spring, it acknowledged that Japan had largely delivered on its promise, but noted that some nontariff barriers remained in place.

Regarding safety standards for autoparts, the EU apparently will try to get Japan to take steps beyond its proposed policy of partial compliance with United Nations safety and environmental standards.

The EU will also seek common ground on trucks, a sector that has barely been addressed.

The additions to the list of nontariff barriers will likely include items in the medical equipment, pharmaceutical and food sectors as well.

In these negotiations, Japan's response on nontariff barriers in the automotive field is linked to the lowering of car tariffs in Europe, which are currently set at 10%. If Japan takes a negative attitude toward the requests, the EU will most likely lower its tariffs by only a limited amount.

Source: Nikkei