A comprehensive free trade deal between the European Union and Japan came into force on Friday,… creating the largest free trade zone in history.<br />With a combined population of 640 million, …the Economic Partnership Agreement, or EPA, accounts for about a third of global GDP.<br />The deal will ultimately remove around 94 percent of tariffs that Japan applies to European goods, including agricultural products like cheese, wine and pork.<br />The EU will scrap 99 percent of tariffs on imports from Japan.<br />The pact will also encourage business investment and ensure the protection of intellectual property rights for both sides,… with hopes to serve as a counter to protectionism. <br />
