News Analysis: Japan-Britain FTA contains more strategic significance than economic meaning

TOKYO, Oct. 25 (Xinhua) -- The post-Brexit bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) between Japan and Britain, formally signed in Tokyo on Friday, is the first major trade deal since Britain left the European Union (EU) and the deal could convey more strategic significance than economic meaning for both sides, experts have said.

Britain formally left the EU on Jan. 31 this year, and will exit from the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) at the end of this year when the transition period of Brexit ends. Japan and Britain started trade negotiations in June, hoping to reach a bilateral trade agreement based on the reference of the EU-Japan EPA. In September, the two sides announced that they had basically reached agreement on the negotiations.