Japan ratifies free trade accord with ASEAN
Updated
Japan has ratified a free trade accord with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
Under the deal, about 90 percent of trade between Japan and the 10-nation ASEAN bloc, which has a combined population of 550 million, will be tariff-free within 10 years.
It will be the first multinational free trade agreement for Japan, which also has been seeking to conclude a number of bilateral pacts amid a breakdown in global trade negotiations.
Tokyo has reached bilateral deals with eight nations, six of which are in the ASEAN group -- Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The others are Chile and Mexico.
