Selling to the EU from Japan
Every claim on this page links to the full answer with the regulation and article on the main guide — nothing here is new or looser than the official text.
You export from Japan — Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya — into the European Union: precision machinery, electronics, automotive parts, food products. The EU–Japan EPA (2019) is the world's largest bilateral trade agreement, but product rules sit on top of any tariff reduction. Since 13 December 2024, almost every consumer product sold in the EU needs a Responsible Person inside the EU.
The questions, with answers
Do I get a lower duty under the EU–Japan agreement? EPA, in force
For most goods, yes. The EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement is in force and removes duty on the large majority of tariff lines. The preference still has to be claimed correctly: the product must meet its origin rule, and you need a statement on origin or a claim based on importer’s knowledge.
Whether a preference actually applies is decided per product by the origin rule in the agreement, not by where the goods were shipped from. Rules of origin works that through, and the goods code decides which rule you are under. A claim without valid proof is recovered from the importer, three years back, with interest.
Source: EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, in force. Checked: 4 September 2026.
Does the EU–Japan EPA replace any of this?
No. The EPA removes tariffs on most goods — that is the customs side. GPSR, CE marking, REACH and the Responsible Person apply regardless of trade agreement status. Japanese manufacturers with CE for machinery or electronics already meet those directives; the GPSR layer comes separately.
Source: EU–Japan EPA (2019); Regulation (EU) 2023/988. Checked: 4 September 2026.
I sell from Japan. Do I need an EU Responsible Person?
Yes, for consumer products. Your Japanese company cannot take the role — it must sit with an economic operator established inside the EU. Most Japanese exporters appoint a paid service, €200–800 per year.
Source: Regulation (EU) 2023/988, Article 16. Checked: 4 September 2026.
I export food or food ingredients. Different rules?
Food has its own regime — hygiene, traceability, border controls, novel-food authorisations — outside this guide. But the packaging triggers EPR per member state, and certain ingredients fall under specific regulations. Check with a sector specialist before assuming it is simple.
Source: EU food law (own regime). Checked: 4 September 2026.
Who can do this for me?
Source: Editorial list, checked 4 September 2026.
Next steps
Appoint a Responsible Person before your listings are suspended, not after — restoring a suspended listing takes longer than setting one up. The full guide covers GPSR, REACH, EPR and CBAM, each with regulation, article and the date it was last verified.
Selling into several EU countries at once? Labelling and warnings must be right per country — that is in the labelling answer.