The EU will sign its largest free trade agreement with Japan

The European Union and Japan will sign Tuesday one of the largest free trade agreements in the world

This move will create a free trade area covering nearly a third of the world's World GDP and 600 million people.

EU dairy exports are the largest in Japan, while cars are one of Japan's leading exports.

This decision contrasts sharply with the attitude adopted by the Trump administration in the United States, which introduced high import duties. The United States was in talks with Japan and other Asian countries 18 months ago about a broad-based free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Trade Agreement, but Donald Trump s & # 39; 39, is withdrawn in one of his first actions. Since then, its "America First" policy has seen the introduction of tariffs on a series of products, including steel, that Japan and the EU export to the United States [19659010] "Political Will"

the largest free trade area in the world, currently exports more than $ 100 billion (75 billion pounds sterling) of goods and services to Japan, the world's third largest economy, each year.

EU senior officials will be in Japan for the signing ceremony, including EU Council President Donald Tusk and the head of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Speaking in China on Monday, Mr. Tusk said: "It is the common duty of Europe and China, but also of America and Russia not to destroy [the global trade order] but to improve, not to trigger trade wars "

Japan's Minister of Economic Revitalization, Toshimitsu Motegi, said on Tuesday:" At a time when protectionist measures are gaining momentum in On a global scale, the signing of the Japan-EU agreement today will once again show the world our unwavering political will to promote free trade. "