Japan has decided to commence negotiations for an economic partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in an X post. The conclusion of the pact with the UAE,

In 2022, Japan and the UAE signed several agreements focusing on energy security, climate change, and investment in high-tech industries like semiconductors and batteries. The UAE, in turn, has become a key market for Japanese exports, with Japan ranking among the UAE’s top 10 global trading partners.

Non-oil trade between the two countries continued to thrive in the first half of 2024, reaching $8.1 billion, while the total trade for 2023 stood at $17.3 billion, marking a 17.4% increase compared to 2022.

Japan will start negotiations for an economic partnership agreement with the United Arab Emirates, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a post on X. The conclusion of the pact with the UAE, coupled with another free trade agreement between Japan and the Gulf Cooperation Council that will also be negotiated,

The CEPA talks announced today are built on flourishing trade relations. The UAE is Japan’s top trading partner in the Arab world in terms of exports and imports, with the UAE receiving 40 per cent of Japan’s exports to Arab countries. Meanwhile, Japan is among the UAE’s top ten trading partners globally.