"The World and Japan" Database (Project Leader: TANAKA Akihiko)
Database of Japanese Politics and International Relations
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS); Institute for Advanced Studies on Asia (IASA), The University of Tokyo

[Title] Joint Statement on Customs Cooperation on Trade Facilitation

[Place]
[Date] November 1, 2015
[Source] Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan
[Notes]
[Full text]

We, the leaders of the Republic of Korea, Japan and the People's Republic of China, reaffirmed the importance of reinforcing cooperation on trade facilitation among the three nations. Fully recognizing the significant potential of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement, which has already been accepted by the three nations, for the growth of tripartite, regional and global trade, we will further reinforce mutual trust for the sound and continuous development of economic and trade relationship among the three nations.

We also reaffirmed the significance of customs authority's role at the border in achieving the common goal of creating an attractive environment for trade and fostering the development of cross border movement of goods. We stressed the importance of solid cooperation among customs authorities of the three nations in this endeavour.

We, against this background, welcomed the convening of the Tripartite Customs Heads' Meeting (TCHM) in Seoul, Korea on 31 October 2015, on the occasion of the 6th Trilateral Summit Meeting.

We instructed the tripartite customs authorities to implement substantive measures to address the common issues, such as illicit drug trafficking, terrorism and IPR infringement, as well as to continue to explore the means of further facilitating trade, through the framework of TCHM, inter alia, the Action Plan of Tripartite Customs Cooperation, which has been served as a basis of cooperation of the customs authorities of the three nations.