International treaty

UK/Japan: Agreement for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership: summary of chapters

Updated 30 November 2020

Chapter 1: General provisions

This chapter contains the general provisions applicable to the whole agreement, including definitions of terms used, the territorial scope of the agreement, security exceptions and the relation of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) to other international agreements.

Chapter 2: Trade in goods

This chapter and its annexes contain provisions on the treatment and the level of access to the domestic market granted to goods of the respective parties, including tariff levels and quotas on various products and agricultural safeguards.

The annexes also cover regulatory standards the UK and Japan subscribe to for motor vehicles and wine, and deal with the facilitation of the export of Shochu.

Chapter 3: Rules of origin and origin procedures

This chapter contains provisions related to the rules of origin used to determine the economic nationality of a good in order to qualify it for preferential tariff rates.

This chapter is accompanied by annexes which set out rules of origin specific to certain products.

Chapter 4: Customs matters and trade facilitation

This chapter contains provisions related to rules on customs procedures and practices.

Chapter 5: Trade remedies

This chapter contains provisions related to trade remedies, which provide a safety net for domestic industry against unfair or injurious trading practices caused by dumped, subsidised or unexpected surges of imports of goods.

Chapter 6: Sanitary and phytosanitary measures

This chapter and its annex contain provisions concerning the application of food safety and animal and plant health regulations.

Chapter 7: Technical barriers to trade

This chapter and the Protocol on Mutual Recognition contains provisions related to technical regulations, standards and conformity assessments.

Chapter 8: Trade in services, investment liberalisation and electronic commerce

This chapter contain provisions on the treatment and the level of access to the domestic market granted to service suppliers and investors of the respective parties, including specific provisions related to movement of natural persons, postal and courier services, telecommunications services, international maritime transport services and electronic commerce.

The annexes accompanying the chapter also set out where the UK and Japan set out areas where they have, or can have, exemptions from the market access in various sectors. There are further annexes setting out details of how the parties are to cooperate on Financial Services regulation, as well as the movement of people between the UK and Japan.

Chapter 9: Capital movements

This chapter contains provisions allowing the free movement of capital, payments or transfers.

Chapter 10: Government procurement

This chapter contains provisions related to enforceable rules and standards for a transparent and non-discriminatory framework on government procurement. This chapter and its annex also set specific procurement market access commitments between the parties.

Chapter 11: Competition policy

This chapter contains provisions related to competition laws and consumer protection policy.

Chapter 12: Subsidies

This chapter contains provisions related to rules on specific subsidies related to economic activities.

Chapter 13: State-owned enterprises

This chapter contains provisions related to state-owned enterprises, enterprises granted special rights or privileges and designated monopolies.

Chapter 14: Intellectual property

This chapter and its annexes contain provisions on the treatment and protection of intellectual property, including provisions on copyright, trade marks, geographical indications, industrial designs, patents, regulatory test data exclusivity, new plant varieties, trade secrets, domain names and enforcement.

Chapter 15: Corporate governance

This chapter contains provisions requiring the Parties to take measure to develop an effective framework for corporate governance.

Chapter 16: Trade and sustainable development

This chapter contains provisions related to sustainability, labour and environment.

Chapter 17: Transparency

This chapter contains commitments on transparency, for example regarding the publication of certain laws, regulations and procedures in English, as well as new provisions on anti-corruption.

Chapter 18: Good regulatory practices

This chapter contains provisions for the Parties to work together to prevent regulations becoming unnecessary barriers to trade, while respecting each Party’s right to regulate in the public interest. This chapter also contains provisions on animal welfare.

Chapter 19: Cooperation in the field of agriculture

This chapter contains provisions on promoting further cooperation in the field of agriculture, including on sustainable agricultural practices.

Chapter 20: Small and medium-sized enterprises

This chapter contains provisions for cooperation and information sharing on matters related to small and medium-sized enterprises.

Chapter 21: Trade and women’s economic empowerment

This chapter contains provisions for cooperation on enhancing the opportunities for women to participate equitably in the domestic and global economy.

Chapter 22: Dispute settlement

This chapter contains provisions for a state-to-state dispute settlement mechanism to resolve disputes arising under CEPA.

Chapter 23: Institutional provisions

This chapter contains the provisions governing the committees and working group set up under CEPA.

Chapter 24: Final provisions

This chapter contains provisions related to the application, amendment and termination of the agreement as well as its entry into force.