TOKYO, March. 9 ― The EU is set to lift import bans on milk and dairy products from Japan on March 26, opening doors to Japanese products, such as cheese and cakes, the Japanese agriculture ministry has said.
The announcement came after Japanese milk and dairy products were on the exemption list by the European Commission. It coincides the timing of the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), which took effect on Feb. 01.
Products whose egg and dairy products content amounts to 50 percent and below can enter into the EU market as early as March 26.
But products whose egg and dairy products content amounts to 50 percent and above will have to meet the EU’s restrict standards, including the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) and animal welfare.
The Japan-EU trade deal is dubbed “cars for cheese” because of business opportunities for Japanese carmakers and EU farmers, means EU duties on Japanese vehicles and parts will be phased out and EU farmers also will save duties.
And the pact sweeps away almost all EU tariffs on Japanese farm products and processed food, but regulatory barriers to trade must be improved for Japanese farmers.
The EU has still placed import bans on Japanese pork and chicken due to outbreaks of livestock infectious diseases, such as classical swine fever and bird flu.