日英ＥＰＡ、来月末以降交渉　安倍首相表明、２１年発効目指す

　安倍晋三首相は２６日、欧州連合（ＥＵ）から離脱する英国との新たな経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）について「（ＥＵ離脱の）移行期間に入り次第、通商交渉を開始したい」と述べ、離脱が実現する２０２０年１月末以降、速やかに協議を始める意向を示した。東京都内で開かれた経団連審議員会でのあいさつで語った。
　今月１２日の英下院総選挙ではジョンソン首相率いる保守党が歴史的勝利を果たし、１月末のＥＵ離脱が確実となった。現在、日本と英国との貿易には日ＥＵ・ＥＰＡの関税優遇措置が適用されているが、この優遇措置は移行期間が終わる２０年末に終了。このため両国は日ＥＵに見劣りしない新協定を結び直し、２１年初めから発効させる考えだ。（2019/12/26-16:42）

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday expressed his desire to start trade talks with Britain swiftly after its planned exit from the European Union at the end of January 2020.
   "I hope to start trade negotiations as soon as (Britain) enters a transition period," Abe said at a meeting of councillors at the Japan Business Federation, or Keidanren.
   Britain's Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, won a historic victory in the Dec. 12 general election, clearing the path for Brexit at the end of January.
   Currently, preferential tariff treatments agreed under the Japan-EU economic partnership agreement apply to trade between Japan and Britain. The treatment will be terminated at the end of 2020, when the transition period ends.
   Japan and Britain hope to newly negotiate a bilateral economic partnership agreement and put it into force at the beginning of 2021.