年内発効へ貿易交渉開始　日英閣僚が初会合

　日英両政府は９日、新たな貿易協定の締結に向け、初の閣僚級の交渉会合を開いた。茂木敏充外相とトラス英国際貿易相がテレビ会議形式で協議を開始。年内の協定発効に向け、夏までに大枠での合意を目指す。
　会合の冒頭、トラス氏が新協定について「年末までに発効させたい」と表明。茂木氏も「緊密に連携して、本パートナーシップを迅速に構築したい」と応じた。
　日本と欧州連合（ＥＵ）間の経済連携協定（ＥＰＡ）は昨年２月に発効したが、英国のＥＵ離脱に伴い、日英間の関税優遇は今年末で期限切れとなる。日英は日欧ＥＰＡをベースに交渉し、関税優遇の空白期間が出ないよう新協定を発効させたい考えだ。（2020/06/09-19:50）

The Japanese and British governments Tuesday held the first round of minister-level talks on a proposed new trade agreement, aiming to strike the deal by year-end.
   The teleconference was attended by Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and British International Trade Secretary Liz Truss.
   In February last year, an economic partnership agreement for free trade went into force between Japan and the European Union. But preferential tariff treatment between Japan and Britain is set to expire at the end of this year following the British exit from the EU.
   Tokyo and London are hoping to effectuate a new trade pact based on the Japan-EU EPA without creating a break in the preferential treatment.
   Under the EPA, the EU will eliminate its tariffs on Japanese automobiles in the eighth year from the effectuation.