November 12, 2014 - Ottawa, Ontario - Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
The Honourable Ed Fast, Minister of International Trade, today announced the seventh round of negotiations toward a Canada-Japan economic partnership agreement. The negotiations will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from November 17 to 21, 2014.
As of today, Minister Fast is also leading a trade mission to Tokyo to further enhance the strong trade and investment ties between the two countries. It is Minister Fast’s fourth trade mission to Japan.
On November 9, on the margins of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Beijing, Prime Minister Stephen Harper met with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to discuss the strong Canada-Japan relationship. The Honourable Greg Rickford, Minister of Natural Resources and Minister for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario, was also in Japan last week, reinforcing the significant potential benefits of deepening the strategic energy partnership between our two countries, aimed at enhancing Canadian jobs and economic prosperity while addressing Japan’s growing energy demands.
A Canada-Japan trade agreement would remove tariffs and strengthen bilateral trade and investment opportunities in many areas, benefiting all sectors of the economy, including agri-food products, forestry and wood products, fish and seafood, manufacturing, natural resources and financial services.
A joint study concluded that a trade agreement with Japan could boost Canada’s economy by $3.8 billion annually, which is equivalent to the creation of almost 25,000 new jobs, and increase Canada’s exports to Japan by as much as 67 percent.
For more information on the trade mission to Japan, please visit Minister Fast Leads Trade Mission to China, Attends APEC Meetings, Visits Japan.
Shannon Gutoskie
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Ed Fast
Minister of International Trade
613-992-7332
Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca
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