EU Lawmakers Urge Free Trade Talks with Japan
The EU should launch free trade talks with Japan but suspend them if Japan doesn’t remove barriers in key sectors such as EU car sales, the European Parliament said Thursday. Its non-binding resolution stressed that non-tariff barriers (NTBs) create regulatory…
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or traditional advantages for local businesses and are harder to get rid of than customs duties. Such barriers have in the past stopped EU businesses from taking full advantage of trade opportunities with Japan, it said. EU exports to Japan could rise by up to 71 percent if tariffs and NTBs are lowered as much as possible, it said. The resolution urged the EU to set “clear and measurable targets” for removing NTBs such as “zoning regulations,” restrictions on electric and hybrid vehicles and preferential treatment for Japan's ultra-light “kei cars.” Parliament also wants limits on access to Japanese markets in electronics, postal services and railway public procurement lifted, it said. The resolution calls for a review within a year of the start of talks to assess whether Japan has delivered clear results. If not, negotiations should be suspended, Parliament said.