LONDON — Railways and the firms equipping them in Europe are calling on Japan to open up its market to free competition amid claims Tokyo is creating unnecessary barriers to protect domestic manufacturers.
UNIFE, the Association of the European Rail Industry, says Japan is abusing transportation "operational safety" clauses in free-trade agreements to prevent EU firms from getting a foothold in the country.
And EU Trade Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner recently wrote in a letter to a British politician that Japan is "excessively invoking the so-called 'operational safety clause' to exclude foreign suppliers."