An EU report has called on Japan to consider introducing international standards for food safety, arguing the country’s tough national rules impeded EU food exporters from penetrating the market.

The report assessed that EU food companies’ costs when selling into Japan rise at least 25% over domestic production costs.

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In a survey, the report’s authors found 30% of EU food company respondents wanted “international standards [as] an effective tool to reduce barriers in the Japanese food sector”.

The report also backed writing a “common positive and negative list of additives” but nonetheless noted there was “great potential to export significant volumes” to Japan.

http://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2010/february/tradoc_145772.pdf

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