Question 19N.2.SL.TZ0.a.ii

Japan–European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (JEEPA)

1. In July 2017, the Japan–European Union Economic Partnership Agreement (JEEPA) was announced and it may come into force in 2019. Jointly, Japan and the European Union (EU) currently account for 28 % of global gross domestic product (GDP). The trade agreement could raise the EU’s exports to Japan by 34 % and Japan’s exports to the EU by 29 %. Economists say that this trade agreement marks a determined effort to combat rising protectionism and sends a powerful signal that cooperation, not trade protection, is the way to tackle global challenges.
   
   
2. The largest benefit to Japan will be for Japanese car manufacturers, as Europe will gradually lower tariffs from 10 % on Japanese cars. Car tariffs are a big concern for Japanese car manufacturers, who struggle to compete with South Korean car manufacturers. South Korean cars are sold to the EU tariff-free thanks to a free trade agreement signed in 2011. Within Europe, car manufacturers are one of the largest sources of jobs. Car manufacturers in the EU are concerned that cutting tariffs on car imports from Japan may lead to a large increase of Japanese cars into the European market.
   
   
3. The trade agreement will also resolve non-tariff barriers, such as technical requirements and regulations. More importantly, however, the EU and Japan will make their environmental and safety standards on cars the same, which will make trade easier.
   
   
4. Japanese politicians have been defending their relatively inefficient farmers for a long time. Now, Japan will lower tariffs on European meat, dairy products and wine, cutting 85 % of the tariffs on food products coming into Japan. This includes removing the current 30 % tariff on some European cheeses, such as cheddar and gouda cheese. However, imported camembert cheese will face a quota. This may be because Japan produces some camembert cheese.
   
   
5. JEEPA is particularly alarming for United States (US) beef and pork farmers because Japan has been the biggest export market for US beef and the second biggest export market for US pork. Any preferential tariff that EU farmers receive will make it much tougher for American farmers to sell meat in Japan.
   
   
6. With this trade agreement, the EU and Japan are trying to promote the values of economic cooperation and environmental conservation, which are both important for long-term economic growth and sustainability. However, JEEPA faces significant challenges because it will have to be passed by the Japanese Parliament, the European Parliament and European national governments. There is no guarantee that all governments will agree to the economic partnership.

[Source: adapted from The Japan-EU Trade Agreement: Pushing Back Against Protectionism, http://globalriskinsights.com,
15 July 2017; Japan-EU trade agreement may hurt U.S. meat producers, by Katherine Hyunjung Lee, Jul 12, 2017, Medill
News Service, https://dc.medill.northwestern.edu; and A new trade deal between the EU and Japan, The Economist (London,
England), Jul 8th 2017, https://www.economist.com/finance-and-economics/2017/07/08/a-new-trade-deal-between-the-eu-andjapan.
© The Economist Newspaper Limited, London, July 8th 2017]