Japan features prominently in the list of recent developments in the area of free trade agreements, with the landmark free trade agreement between Australia and Japan having entered into force on 15 January 2015. The agreement provides substantial tariff reductions set to grant over 97% of Australian exports preferential or duty-free entry to Japan.
According to a joint statement issued by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott, the deal "lays the foundation for the next phase of bilateral economic relations, and will strengthen 'the special strategic partnership' between Japan and Australia."
Under the terms of the agreement, 99.7% of Australia's exports of resource, energy, and manufacturing goods will now enter Japan duty-free. (You can read the full text of the agreement here.)
Meanwhile, the recent sixth round of trilateral free trade agreement negotiations between Japan, China, and South Korea featured intensive discussions about products, services, investment, subjects, and the scope of the FTA.
Tripartite FTA negotiations were launched in November 2012, and from the outset the challenge of lowering tariffs on sensitive goods and services (particularly agricultural products for South Korea and Japan, and manufactured goods for China) was acknowledged by all three countries.
Lastly, Malaysia is hopeful that negotiations for the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) can be concluded by year-end (2015), International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed said.
RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement (FTA), which involves 10 ASEAN members and their six partners - Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand. The plan is to include goods, services, investments, competition and intellectual property under the pact.
Sources: Asia Briefing MOFA Business Korea Tax-News Bilaterals