Food & Agriculture

With the implementation and entry into force of the EU-Japan EPA, together with the Switzerland – Japan FTA, European food has very much increased its presence in Japan. The EBC believes this trend will continue as more and more consumer on the Japanese market are experiencing high-quality food products from Europe. Similarly, supplier of food and agricultural products are now viewing the Japanese market as a market that is no longer out of reach.

One very important component of the EU-Japan EPA is the quota system, or the Tarif Rate Quotas (TRQs) in Japan. The 25 TRQs offer lower duty for a limited volume. While the administration of some of the TRQs during the initial period were difficult to apply improvements have been made. For instance, volume that has not been used are released earlier which the EBC very much appreciates. It is, however, difficult not to point out that some TRQs are still not optimally utilised. For instance, cream is covered by many different categories.

In addition to tariffs, a range of non-tariff, food-related barriers continues to affect the availability of European products in Japan. For instance, Japan remains out of step with international standards, having yet to approve many food additives and enzymes deemed safe by the Codex Alimentarius. Although sanitary and phytosanitary issues are addressed in the EPA, the agreement currently contains only broad language regarding the expected benefits for suppliers and importers. It is therefore crucial for both authorities to continue working toward greater alignment, particularly to address the issue of duplicate testing. At present, imported goods often require additional testing in Japan due to the lack of harmonisation or mutual recognition of test methods. While some progress has been made, re-testing for the Japanese market remains common.

The EBC is eager to collaborate closely with all relevant stakeholders in the Government of Japan and the European Commission to drive meaningful, positive change that supports the goal of offering Japanese consumers a broader selection of safe, high-quality food. We strongly hope that the EPA will deliver on its commitments—abolishing or reducing tariffs, harmonising standards, and enabling mutual recognition of market authorisations. The EBC Food & Agriculture Committee firmly believes these goals can be achieved without compromising food safety. Greater alignment will increase product variety on supermarket shelves, foster healthy competition in the food and agricultural sectors of both regions, and make European food more accessible—something we know Japanese consumers would welcome.