A trade deal between the EU and Japan that has been discussed since 2013 will be completed this year, as early as the autumn, world leaders have claimed at the G7 summit in Japan.
David Cameron attended a side event at the summit, with the leaders of France, Italy and Germany as well as the presidents of the European commission and council to discuss the agreement, which was initially expected to be tied up last year.
The prime minister used the meeting as an opportunity to make the argument for Britain remaining in the EU by suggesting the deal – which could be worth £5bn for the British economy – was possible because of the scale of the EU.
“As Prime Minister Abe said when visiting the UK, Japan’s priority is negotiating with large trade blocs – not individual states in Europe. And this is something we hear time and again from foreign leaders,” he said.
“Not only will UK households lose out to the tune of £4,300 a year if we vote to leave, but we will be turning our backs on global trade deals which underpin our security and prosperity.”
The deal would mean the elimination of the vast majority of trade tariffs, and boost imports and exports in key areas such as agriculture, car manufacturing and clothing, according to Downing Street.
