Customs duty from Japan to European Union: Import Duty Guide

Key Takeaways

• The EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA/JEFTA), in force since 1 February 2019, was one of the largest bilateral trade agreements in the world by combined economic size when signed.
• Unlike most other lanes this site tracks into the EU, this site’s own product-level duty data was specifically sourced against this agreement - the FTA column in the table below reflects genuinely confirmed coverage, not an approximation.
• The EU and Japan are separately negotiating an addition of digital-trade rules to the agreement, a modernisation still in progress and unrelated to current tariff treatment.
• EU imports from Japan reached an estimated €63.3 billion in 2025.
• Standard EU mechanics apply regardless of FTA status: below €150, a flat €3 duty for IOSS sellers (duty-free otherwise); above €150, VAT plus duty plus a handling fee.

Japan-EU Trade at a Glance

EU imports from Japan reached an estimated €63.3 billion in 2025. Japan ranked around 10th among the EU’s import-specific partners, while placing higher - around 7th - when measured by total trade (goods and services, imports and exports combined), reflecting a relationship weighted more toward services and investment than pure goods imports relative to some other partners.

Is There a Trade Deal Between Japan and the EU?

Yes - the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), often referred to as JEFTA, has been in force since 1 February 2019. It was one of the largest bilateral trade agreements in the world by combined economic size at the time it was signed, eliminating tariffs on the large majority of goods trade between the two economies. The agreement’s institutional machinery remains active - its Committee on Trade in Goods held its seventh meeting on 30 January 2026 - and the EU and Japan are separately negotiating an addition of cross-border data-flow rules, a modernisation still in progress as of this writing and unrelated to the agreement’s existing tariff treatment.

How Much Will You Pay Importing from Japan to the EU?

This is the one lane on this site where product-level FTA coverage is genuinely, directly sourced rather than approximated from a related agreement - the table below reflects real, confirmed 0% treatment under the EU-Japan EPA for the specific categories where this site has that data (currently clothing and cosmetics show confirmed 0% treatment; other categories may also qualify under the agreement’s broad coverage even where this site hasn’t yet sourced the specific rate). Standard EU mechanics otherwise apply: since 1 July 2026, orders under €150 from an IOSS-registered seller pay a flat €3 duty per item type, non-IOSS orders under €150 stay duty-free, and orders over €150 pay VAT (varying by member state) plus any applicable duty plus a handling fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Japan’s duty rate table more reliable than other lanes on this site?

Yes - this site’s product-level duty data was specifically sourced with the EU-Japan agreement in mind, so the FTA column here reflects genuinely confirmed coverage rather than the broader approximation used on lanes like South Korea or Canada.

How big is this trade agreement?

The EU-Japan EPA was one of the largest bilateral trade deals in the world by combined economic size when it took effect in 2019, covering two of the world’s largest economies.

Is anything currently being renegotiated?

The EU and Japan are working on adding cross-border data-flow and digital-trade rules to the agreement - a modernisation in progress, separate from and not affecting the existing tariff treatment on physical goods.

How big is Japan-EU trade?

EU imports from Japan reached an estimated €63.3 billion in 2025, with Japan ranking higher among the EU’s trading partners when total trade (including services) is considered rather than goods imports alone.