For Japan-U.K. trade deal, speed was of the essence

With just months to go before the U.K.'s transition out of the European Union, Japan and Britain’s broad agreement on a bilateral free trade pact came as a relief for both sides as the clock ticks down.

While the main agenda item during their negotiations was to seal the deal under the tight year-end deadline to avert any fallout from Brexit, Japan and the U.K. also aimed for more ambitious terms compared to the Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement.

But because the two nations were forced to prioritize the speed of the negotiations, the Japan-U.K. trade deal mostly reproduced the Japan-EU pact, with the exception of some new elements such as digital and data provisions that keep barriers low to ensure a business-friendly environment.