EPA Helpdesk

EPA HELPDESK TO SUPPORT EU SMEs

On 17 July 2018, the European Union and Japan signed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), the biggest trade agreement ever negotiated by the EU that will create an open trade zone covering over 600 million people.

The agreement entered into force on Friday, 1 February 2019.

To raise awareness of the opportunities this agreement offers and to help EU SMEs take advantage of them, the EU-Japan Centre has launched an EPA Helpdesk to support and guide EU SMEs in their search for relevant information.

INFODESK

The EPA Helpdesk answers EPA-related queries from EU companies. In case the answer is not be available in-house, the EU-Japan Centre will signpost to relevant existing online information.

EPA-related most common Q&As are available here.

You have a specific question or wish to be kept informed about future webinars?

Please fill in the form here (be sure to mention the HS code of your product in case of query).

Information about the trade impact of the EU-Japan EPA is available here.

PUBLICATIONS & WEBINARS

The EPA Helpdesk published a series of factsheets covering factual information about the changes brought by the EPA and organises related webinars.

Past webinars are recorded and are available in below table with the relevant factsheet.

Our EPA Helpdesk released 2 handbooks to help EU companies understand the EPA.

EPA Handbook – a guide to help EU SMEs import Japanese products (May 2021)
EPA Handbook – a guide to help EU SMEs export to Japan (March 2022)

WEBINARS CALENDAR (by date of event)

Topics	Links to factsheets	Links to past webinar recording or future webinar registration
2021-22 SERIES
Geographical Indications (GIs)	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Wines and Spirits & Beers	- Spirits and Beers - Wines	Webinar recording Presentation
Dairy Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Meat Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Processed Agricultural Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Tariff Rate Quotas	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Fruits and Vegetables	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Textiles	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Leather and Footwear Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Forestry Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Vehicles	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
SME Chapter	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Rules of Origin 1	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Malt, Starches, Wheat Gluten and Egg Albumin	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Fisheries	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Tariff Rate Quotas	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
EPA impact on the EU Agri-Food and Textile Exports to Japan	None released	CANCELLED
Rules of Origin 2	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Human Resources Mobility	- Intra-Corporate Transferees - Business Visitors for Investment Purposes - Short-term Business Visitors - Independant Professionals - Contractual Service Suppliers	Webinar recording Presentation
Access2Markets Seminar	None released	Webinar recording General Presentation SME Chapter
2020 SERIES
Rules of Origin 1	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Public Procurement	Factsheet Guideline	Webinar recording Presentation
Wine	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Spirits and Beers	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Geographical Indications (GIs)	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Dairy Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Meat Products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Processed agricultural products (PAPs)	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Rules of Origin 2	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Services & Domestic Regulations and Mutual Recognition Agreement	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Tariff Rate Quotas (TRQs)	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Public Procurement & Healthcare	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Fruits & Vegetables	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Malt, Starches, Wheat Gluten and Egg Albumin	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Textiles and clothing	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Footwear and leather products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Forestry products	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Services & Finances	- Crowdfunding - Blockchain - Payment	Webinar recording Presentation
Vehicles	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
SME Chapter	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Fisheries	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Services & Maritime Transport	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Services & Insurances	- Postal insurances - Life insurances - Non-life insurances - Reinsurance	Webinar recording Presentation
Rules of Origin 3	None released	Webinar recording Presentation
Telecom	Factsheet	Webinar recording Presentation
Rules of Origin 4	None released	Webinar recording Presentation

ABOUT THE EPA

The EPA contains "a number of provisions that will simplify trade and investment procedures, reduce export and investment related costs and will therefore enable more small firms to do business in both markets. Among the expected benefits are increased transparency, less burdensome technical rules, compliance requirements, customs procedures and rules of origin, enhanced protection of intellectual property rights and geographical indications, better access to procurement tender procedures, as well as a special chapter to enable SMEs to maximise the benefits from the EPA". (Source: Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the conclusion of the Economic Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Japan - COM(2018) 192 final)

The EU-Japan EPA is expected to boost trade in goods and services and will create many opportunities for EU SMEs: tariffs on more than 90% of Japan's imports from the EU will be eliminated at entry into force of the EPA. This will affect a wide range of sectors covering agriculture and food products, industrial products (including textiles, clothing...), as well as forestry and fisheries. In addition, non-tariff barriers are expected to be substantially reduced for motor vehicles, medical devices, and the "quasi drugs" sectors. Finally the agreement will facilitate the export of services to the Japanese market and will affect a significant number of sectors from telecommunications to postal services and the financial sector.