Japan, EU begin 8th round of EPA talks
Jiji Press | 8 December 2014
Japan, EU begin 8th round of EPA talks
Japan and the European Union began five-day talks in Tokyo on Monday on concluding an economic partnership agreement for free trade.
In the negotiations, the eighth of their kind, the two sides are expected to discuss issues, including goods trade liberalization and an easing in nontariff trade barriers.
Japan has been calling on the EU to scrap its high tariffs on industrial goods. The EU tariffs stand at 10 percent for passenger cars and 14 percent for television sets.
The EU for its part is demanding that Japan reduce its tariffs on wine, cheese and other farm products to zero.
In the five-day talks, the EU side is expected to urge Japan to rectify nontariff barriers such as standards on automobile safety and those on beer ingredients.
Japan and the EU are aiming to reach a broad EPA accord by the end of 2015.
