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techUK welcomes the announcement and supports a comprehensive, ambitious agreement with a strong focus on digital trade.

Today, the United Kingdom and Japan formally start negotiations on a free trade agreement. techUK welcomes the announcement and supports a comprehensive, ambitious agreement with a strong focus on digital trade.

Commenting on today’s official launch, Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:

“We welcome the start of UK-Japan free trade negotiations. Japan has been a longstanding strategic partner for the United Kingdom and the strong relations between our business communities and our consumers are proof of that partnership. We believe we have a huge opportunity to build on the Economic Partnership Agreement and create state of the art digital trade provisions, including on data flows, as well as regulatory cooperation on cyber security and emerging technologies. Building on the success of the UK-Japan Tech Forum, we look forward to working with our government and our partner organisations in Japan to reach a progressive, comprehensive and mutually beneficial agreement.”

Paul Patterson, Senior Vice President, Head of Fujitsu UK and Chair of the UK-Japan Tech Forum, added:

“The tech sector has long advocated the benefits to both countries of a closer UK-Japan relationship. The UK and Japan are leaders in development and use of tech to benefit our citizens and societies. Deepening our engagement will create opportunities for Japanese and UK businesses by ensuring a flow of innovation, opening up trade and crucially driving future investment. As the Chair of the UK-Japan Tech Forum, I welcome the start of the UK-Japan free trade negotiations. We look forward to working with the UK and Japanese governments to reach an agreement that brings growth to tech businesses, entrepreneurs, investors and exporters across the UK and Japan which will ultimately contribute to all sectors of the economy.”

In January, techUK has published “A Vision for UK Digital Trade Policy” which sets out an ambitious agenda for the UK to shape the future of global digital trade.