Europe and Japan Near Trade Deal as U.S. Takes Protectionist Path In an emailed statement, the commission said, “The negotiators are now in permanent contact at all levels to conclude an agreement as soon as possible.” “In the current international environment, an ambitious E. U.-Japan deal would send a powerful signal to the rest of the world that two of the largest economies are resisting protectionism and that openness to trade and investment remains one of the best tools to harness and shape globalization and create more economic growth and jobs,” the statement said. The Japanese Foreign Ministry declined to comment on the documents, but it said in a statement that “a broad agreement is within reach.” Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida is preparing to work out the final details with Cecilia Malmstrom, the European trade commissioner, and a deal could be announced as early as next week, according to the Japanese public broadcaster NHK. By HIROKO TABUCHI and JACK EWINGJUNE 23, 2017 The European Union and Japan are close to sealing one of the largest trade agreements ever, a deal that could further isolate the United States as President Trump forges a protectionist path. The partial draft of the deal between the European Union and Japan was first obtained by the environmental group Greenpeace, which shared the document with The Times, the German public broadcaster ARD and the Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper. While Japan and the European Union have been negotiating for years, Japanese officials have been eager to pick up the pace at trade talks in the aftermath of Mr. Trump’s decision to leave the Pan-Pacific trade deal.
