The Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) announced today that Japan and the European Union (EU) have reached a significant agreement to expand the scope of their Organic Equivalence Arrangement. Under the new terms, organic livestock products (such as meat and dairy) and organic alcoholic beverages (including wine and Japanese sake) will now be included in the mutual recognition framework. Additionally, the EU has lifted its previous origin restrictions on Japanese organic product ingredients.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/29281/
This milestone marks a new phase in Japan-EU organic trade cooperation, facilitating smoother agricultural exports and supply chain optimization for both parties.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/29281/
Key Agreement Details
- Newly Recognized Product Categories
- Organic Livestock Products: Covers meat, dairy, and related goods, benefiting specialty items like Japanese Wagyu beef and European cheeses.
- Organic Alcoholic Beverages: Includes wine and sake, which were previously excluded due to limitations under Japan’s JAS Organic Certification System.
- Effective Dates
- Japan: May 16, 2025 – Imports of EU organic livestock and alcoholic products permitted.
- EU: May 18, 2025 – Japanese organic products eligible for export to the EU market.
- Operational Adjustments
- EU imports of organic alcoholic beverages can now be certified by Japan’s designated organic processed food authorities.
Background and Significance
This expansion follows Japan’s2022 JAS Organic Certification reformswhich incorporated alcoholic beverages into its organic standards and advanced equivalence negotiations with multiple trading partners. Under the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, tariffs on agricultural goods have already been significantly reduced. The enhanced organic mutual recognition is expected to further boost trade in high-value-added products, such as Japanese Wagyu beef and premium sake exports, while increasing the availability of high-quality EU dairy products in Japan.文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/29281/
For further details, refer to the official announcement by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF):https://www.maff.go.jp/j/press/shokuhin/ninsyo/250515.html文章源自FOFCC-http://fofcc.org.cn/en/29281/
