Decision

30 November 2022: UK-Japan CEPA Committee on Trade in Goods – joint minutes

Updated 3 May 2024

Joint Minutes of the 2nd Meeting of the Committee on Trade in Goods under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership. Agreement between the United Kingdom (UK) of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Japan.

London and Tokyo (via video conference), 30 November 2022.

Officials from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (MOFA), Ministry of Finance (MOF), Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), Embassy of Japan in the UK and officials from the UK’s Department for International Trade (DIT), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and the British Embassy in Tokyo had a fruitful exchange of views on matters relating to Trade in Goods.

1. Opening remarks and adoption of the Agenda

The meeting agenda was adopted (see annex).

2.Trends in bilateral trade in goods

The Committee exchanged information and views on the development of bilateral trade in goods over the second year of implementation of the UK-Japan CEPA. Both sides noted that bilateral trade flows had likely been impacted by COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

3. Follow-up to preference utilisation data exchange and next steps

The Committee reaffirmed the time frame for the annual exchange of import statistics under Article 2.31 of the UK-Japan CEPA. The next exchange of statistics will take place around November 2023. Experts from both governments gave presentations on headline preference utilisation rates (PUR) and PUR breakdown by product. Statistics on UK imports by tariff regime are published for periods 2022 onwards on the HMRC website (see import data by preference). Analysis of preference utilisation of UK trade agreements is expected to be published in the upcoming UK FTA Monitoring Report in 2023.  PUR statistics on Japan imports will be published on the MOFA website.

4. Discussion on Japan’s Preferential Import Certificate (PIC) system  

The Committee confirmed the importance of facilitating the utilisation of tariff preferences. The UK expressed its interests in the use of Japan’s Preferential Import Certificates (PIC) under the UK-Japan CEPA and both sides decided to exchange further information on PIC as a follow-up to this meeting.

5. UK update on improving GOV.UK user accessibility for Japanese businesses, the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol and other working groups  

The UK gave an update on improving GOV.UK user accessibility for Japanese businesses, the impact on the Northern Ireland Protocol (NIP) on the UK-Japan CEPA and updated on other working groups that had met during the past year. These were:

• working group on automotive vehicles and parts
• working group on wine

Annex

2nd Meeting of the Committee on Trade in Goods under Japan -United Kingdom Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.

30 November 2022

London: 8.30 to 10.30am

Tokyo:   5:30 to 7:30pm

Agenda

• Opening remarks
• Adoption of the agenda (Article 23.3.3(e))
• Trends in bilateral trade in goods  
• Follow-up to preference utilisation data exchange and next steps
• Specific trade elements related to the implementation of Chapter 2 and Annex 2-A
• Discussion on Japan’s Preferential Import Certificate (PIC) system
• UK update on improving GOV.UK user accessibility for Japanese businesses
• Update on other working groups (Automotive vehicles and parts working group and wine working group)
• Update on the impact of the Northern Ireland protocol on EPA
• Recap of the session
• Closing remarks