Select Committee · International Agreements Committee

UK-Japan trade negotiations

Status: Closed Opened: 25 Jun 2020 Closed: 3 Feb 2021
Inquiry scopeThe Government has made agreeing a comprehensive free trade agreement (“FTA”) with Japan an early priority. Trade negotiations between the UK and Japan were officially launched on Tuesday 9 June 2020. The UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, and Japanese Foreign Affairs Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, began the first round of negotiations. The UK-Japan trade deal is one of the first major trade agreements pursued by a post-Brexit UK, and the Government seeks to build on the EU-Japan EPA. This inquiry will focus on the Government’s aims and objectives, the progress of negotiations, and the possible impacts of a final deal for people and businesses across the UK. It is not yet known when the talks will conclude, but this inquiry will run for the duration of those talks. The Committee published its report on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement on 20 November 2020: Report: Scrutiny of international agreements: UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (HTML) Report: Scrutiny of international agreements: UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (PDF)

Oral evidence sessions

3 sessions

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Date Session and witnesses Source
4 Nov 2020 Graham Zebedee · Department for International Trade, The Lord Grimstone of Boscobel · Department for International Trade View ↗
23 Sep 2020 Andy Burwell · Confederation of British Industry, Dr Minako Morita-Jaeger · UK Trade Policy Observatory, University of Sussex, Nick von Westenholz · National Farmers Union View ↗
14 Sep 2020 Dr Anna Jerzewska · Trade and Borders, James Ramsbotham · North East England Chamber of Commerce, Mike Hawes · Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders View ↗

Who gave evidence

8 witnesses

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WitnessOrganisationSessions
Andy Burwell · Director for International Trade Confederation of British Industry 1
Dr Anna Jerzewska · Founder and Director Trade and Borders 1
Dr Minako Morita-Jaeger · Fellow UK Trade Policy Observatory, University of Sussex 1
Graham Zebedee · Director for Indo-Pacific Negotiations and Development Department for International Trade 1
James Ramsbotham · CEO North East England Chamber of Commerce 1
Mike Hawes · Chief Executive Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders 1
Nick von Westenholz · Director of EU Exit and International Trade National Farmers Union 1
The Lord Grimstone of Boscobel · Minister for Investment Department for International Trade 1

Correspondence

10 letters

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PublishedDirectionLetter
14 Jan 2021 To committee Letter from Rt Hon Kwasi Kwarteng MP to Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith QC on the UK-Japan Nuclear Cooperation Agreement, 16 December 2020
14 Jan 2021 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone of Boscobel to Rt Hon the Lord Goldsmith QC on the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, 14 December 2020
19 Nov 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone of Boscobel to Rt Hon Lord Goldsmith QC on follow up questions on the Japan agreemeny, 10 November 2020
4 Nov 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone of Boscobel to Rt Hon. the Lord Grimstone QC on the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement with Japan, 23 October 2020
21 Oct 2020 To committee Letter from Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP to Rt Hon. the Lord Goldsmith QC on proposed scrutiny arrangements for Japan, 12 October 2020
23 Sep 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone of Boscobel to Rt Hon. the Lord Goldsmith QC on Japan agreement in principle, 11 September 2020
16 Sep 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone of Boscobel to Rt Hon the Lord Goldsmith QC on trade negotiations between the UK and Japan, 7 September 2020
31 Jul 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Goldsmith QC to Rt Hon. Elizabeth Truss MP on trade negotiations between the UK and Japan, 31 July 2020
11 Jun 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone to Lord Goldsmith QC on the launch of UK-Japan negotiations, 9 June 2020
14 May 2020 To committee Letter from Lord Grimstone to Lord Goldsmith on UK-Japan negotiations, 12 May 2020