Japan-Switzerland FTA to take effect Sept. 1+

TOKYO, July 28 Kyodo -
A free trade agreement between Japan and Switzerland will take effect Sept. 1
with a goal of eliminating tariffs on more than 99 percent of the value of
goods traded between the two countries within 10 years, the Japanese Foreign
Ministry said Tuesday.

The bilateral trade liberalization pact is the first one between Japan and a
European country as all of Japan's previous nine FTAs that have come into
effect were concluded with Southeast Asian and Latin American nations.
Through the accord with Switzerland, Japan can expect to increase exports of
cars and home electronics products in particular to the country while Japanese
consumers will become able to purchase Swiss wine, cheese and other dairy
products at lower prices.
The economic partnership agreement was signed by the two countries in February
this year.
==Kyodo