Signing of the Protocol Amending the Agreement between Japan and the United Mexican States for the Strengthening of the Economic Partnership

September 23, 2011
Japanese

The Protocol Amending the Agreement between Japan and the United Mexican States for the Strengthening of the Economic Partnership was signed in Mexico City before dawn on Friday, September 23, Japan time (Thursday, September 22, local time) by Mr. Shuichiro Megata, Ambassador to Mexico, and Mr. Bruno Ferrari García de Alba, Mexico’s Secretary of Economy.
The present Protocol, based on the Agreement between Japan and the United Mexican States for the Strengthening of the Economic Partnership, which entered into force on April 1, 2005, stipulates the further improvement of market access conditions related to trade in goods and the revision of the procedure for certification of origin through the introduction of the Approved Exporter System.
Under the present Protocol, it is expected that bilateral trade liberalization will be further promoted and that the relationship between the two countries will become closer.

«Reference»
Contents of the Protocol Amending the Agreement between Japan and the United Mexican States for the Strengthening of the Economic Partnership

Further improvement of market access conditions related to trade in goods:
1) Mexican Side
—Acceleration of the elimination of tariffs imposed on certain auto parts and paper for ink-jet printers (They will be eliminated in 2012, two years earlier than the original schedule).
—Elimination of tariffs on mandarin oranges and the establishment of tariff rate quotas for apples and green tea.
2) Japanese Side
—Expansion of tariff rate quotas and reductions of in-quota tariffs applied to beef, pork, chicken, orange and orange juice.
—Establishment of a tariff rate quota for agave syrup: Fructose syrup from Agave
(Negotiations regarding pineapples, durum wheat, cane sugar, etc. will take place in 2014.)

The application of most-favored nation (MFN) applied tariff rates on particular goods in case these rates are lower than those under the EPA:
A provision has been added to apply MFN applied tariff rates under the WTO on particular goods in case the MFN rates are lower than the corresponding tariff rates under the EPA.

Introduction of the Approved Exporter System:
In order to facilitate procedures for certification of origin, the rules on the Approved Exporter System will be introduced.

(*This is a provisional translation. The above date denotes the date of the issue of the original press release in Japanese.)

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