Survey Overview This is an international trade policy analysis report (Report Number: 1000061) conducted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) in FY2024. It analyzes the strategic direction and specific measures of Japan's trade policy amid advancing globalization.
Changes in Trade Environment The international trade environment has become complex due to prolonged US-China trade friction, geopoliticization of supply chains, and the rise of protectionism. Japan has a high trade dependency ratio of 30.2%, making it susceptible to external environmental changes. The effectiveness of multilateral trade rules has declined due to the weakening of WTO functions.
Utilization of Economic Partnership Agreements The goal is to maximize economic effects through trade and investment expansion by effectively utilizing economic partnership agreements such as CPTPP, Japan-EU EPA, and RCEP. Priority is placed on deepening economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region and supporting Japanese companies' expansion into emerging markets.
Promotion of Digital Trade The initiative addresses 21st-century trade policy challenges through formulating new trade rules corresponding to digital economy expansion, internationalizing standards for data flow, and working on international standardization of AI and IoT technologies. The export promotion of environmental technologies related to carbon neutrality and international development of green finance are promoted.
Expected Effects The goal is to improve Japan's international competitiveness through 10% improvement in trade balance, doubling the number of companies utilizing EPAs, and 30% expansion of digital trade value.