Today, the Government will start negotiating a free trade agreement with Japan, which will provide more opportunities for businesses and individuals across every region of the UK and help boost our economies.
Last year, UK trade with Japan was worth over £30 billion and 9,500 UK based businesses exported goods to the country, helping to employ 2.4 million people across the UK. Both countries are committed to secure a deal that will come into force by the end of 2020 – and a new free trade agreement with Japan will build on the existing EU-Japan deal. It will go further by securing additional benefits in areas such as digital trade, and providing support for the UK’s 5.9 million small businesses. A bespoke free trade agreement with Japan will help generate significant opportunities throughout the economy, creating jobs, boosting wages and diversifying choice for consumers.
Within the European Union, we were prevented from negotiating these individual deals with countries like Japan. Now we can get a deal that suits our needs, rather than the needs of all the other European countries. That means we have a better chance of securing a deal that boosts the economy and local businesses in Great Yarmouth.