With the 5th Round of Canada-Japan bilateral trade negotiations set to take place during the week of March 24 – 28, JAMA Canada is encouraged by the efforts of the Canadian and Japanese governments to pursue an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and looks forward to a successful round of negotiations in Tokyo, Japan.

“Canada and Japan have a long history of harmonious relations as well as largely complementary economies, so there are tremendous benefits for both countries if a deal can be concluded expeditiously”, said Jerry Chenkin, Chairman of JAMA Canada.

“Now that Canada has an agreement in principle with Europe and a new trade deal with South Korea, it is critically important to complete the EPA with Japan not only for the economic benefits for both countries, but also to maintain a balanced and level playing field in the Canadian motor vehicle market”, added David Worts, Executive Director of JAMA Canada.

One third of Japanese vehicles sold in Canada are imported from Japan – these include some of the most technologically advanced vehicles offering safe, reliable and more environmentally friendly transportation that would benefit from eliminating Canada’s 6.1% import tariff.