The UK-Japan trade agreement has been finalised and is expected to take effect from 1 January 2021.
The agreement largely replicates the EU-Japan FTA and as such, for our sector, little if anything will change compared to our current trading arrangements. It should be noted that the tariff quotas and staged elimination of tariffs given in the EU-Japan agreement has been replicated in the new UK agreement.
Nine tariff lines in Japan’s tariff schedule covering certain leathers and hides were improved to become duty free in 2026 rather than in 2028 as under the EU-Japan Agreement. However, these lines are almost entirely irrelevant for UK leather manufacturers. The full list is given below:
| HS Classification Code | Description |
| 41033020 | Raw materials - other |
| 41063100 | Swine leather, in the wet state, including wet blue |
| 41063210 | Swine leather, in the dry state, dyed / coloured |
| 41063220 | Swine leather - Other |
| 410669211 | Ostrich, crust leather |
| 41132010 | Swine leather, parchment dressed |
| 411330221 | Turtle / tortoise leather, parchment dressed |
| 411390100 | Other, parchment dressed |
| 4115200 | Parings & other waste of leather or composition leather, not suitable for the manufacture of leather articles; leather dust, powder & flour |
Various documents relating to the FTA, including the FTA itself, can be found at the links below.
UK-Japan FTA
The UK’s trade relationship with Japan: parliamentary report: This report explains the government’s approach to maintaining continuity of the trade relationship between the UK and Japan after EU Exit.
UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: Documents containing treaty information and a summary of the UK-Japan trade agreement
Summary of the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement: Information on the trade agreement with Japan, replacing the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement.
UK-Japan CEPA: final impact assessment: Economic assessment of the impact of the Agreement between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Japan for a Comprehensive Economic Partnership (the UK-Japan CEPA).
The UK-Japan comprehensive economic partnership: benefits for the UK: Summary document giving an overview of the benefits for the UK by sector from the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement.
