In light of recent attacks on shipping vessels in the Red Sea, several shipping companies have opted to avoid the Suez Canal and instead take the longer route around Africa. This shift is expected to result in extended shipping times, affecting not only future shipments but also those currently in transit or about to depart from Europe.
As a result, delayed arrivals in Japan may disrupt originally planned schedules, possibly extending into another financial year. Such delays could affect the use of certain preferential treatment, such as quotas under the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA). Failure to meet allocated quotas could also result in penalties in certain cases.
We encourage members of European National Chambers affected by this issue to email us for further consultation. We have already contacted the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) and are keeping them informed of the situation.
The Delegation of the European Union to Japan has launched a business survey under the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) Implementation Facility Instrument on the fifth year of EPA implementation. The aim of this short survey is to identify existing regulatory barriers that hamper EU exports to Japan and the need for the development or adaptation of new standards or technical regulations that would facilitate and enhance trade between the EU and Japan. If you are directly affected by the problem, don’t hesitate to respond! The survey can be found at the following link: : https://eu.research.net/r/HM3LTPZ (new deadline: 24 January 2024)
On 2 February (3:30pm-6:00pm), the German Chamber will organise a conference on “Status Quo of Due Diligence & Supply Chain Regulations in Germany and the EU and its implications on Japan”.
The EBC team is looking forward to hearing from you soon!
Valerie Moschetti
EBC Chief Operating Officer |
