Does Rules of Origin Rule Trade? The use of trade preferences in the EU-Japan, EU-South Korea, and EU-Canada free trade agreements

With problems looming for the World Trade Organization (WTO) in pushing multilateral trade agreements further, other stakeholders in world trade are more active.  The world has seen an increase in bilateral trade agreements involving individual countries, and regional free trade areas. Here, the EU has been an active part seeking new trade agreements with partners around the world. One of the more important agreements is the Economic Partnership agreement (EPA) with Japan that came into effect in 2019. Other similar agreements exist with South Korea and Canada. This Stockholm Seminar on Japan took stock on the aspects of rules of origin within these agreements and the use of trade preferences.

Speakers:

Professor Ari Kokko, Copenhagen Business School

Professor Patrik Tingvall, the National Board of Trade Sweden

Moderator: Dr. Patrik Ström, Director, European Institute of Japanese Studies, Stockholm School of Economics

The Japan seminar series is jointly organized by the European Institute of Japanese Studies at Stockholm School of Economics, the Asia Programme at The Swedish Institute of International Affairs, the Department of Asian, Middle Eastern and Turkish Studies at Stockholm University and the Swedish Defence University. It features monthly seminars on Japanese economy, politics and society.