free-trade

EU-Japan trade deal ‘within five years’

EU trade ministers have given the European Commission a mandate to start negotiations for an EU-Japan free trade agreement but subject to strict conditions. They are insisting that elimination of non-tariff barriers should precede that of tariff barriers. European trade commissioner Karel De Gucht said he hoped that the deal could be ratified in four to five years. A similar trade with Singapore is said to be close, and negotiations ... [+]