• World Trade Organization (WTO)
• North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)
• Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA)
• Regional & Bilateral Initiatives
• Trade in Goods
• Trade in Services
• Investment
• Trade & Environment
• Further Opportunities
• Development and Society
• Dispute Settlement
• Why Trade Matters
• Resource Centre
• It's Your Turn
• Export & Import Controls

Regional and Bilateral Initiatives

Other types of arrangements

Canada-Japan Economic Framework

Attachment II
Terms of Reference of the Joint Study

1. In January 2005, the Prime Ministers of Canada and Japan determined that the two countries would conduct a joint study with the following aims:

1. to examine the benefits and costs of further promotion of trade and investment, as well as other cooperative issues between the two countries;

2. to identify and describe the current status of the bilateral economic relationship, including the identification of areas for further development;

3. to consider the possibility of pursuing various cooperative bilateral trade and economic initiatives to reenergize the relationship; and

4. to give appropriate consideration to the interests of the private sector.
   
   

2. The structure of the Joint Study will be as follows:

   1. Introductory section to address the overall purpose of the Joint Study: Examining the benefits and costs of further promotion of bilateral trade and investment, as well as other cooperative issues between the two countries;

   2. Examination of Canada-Japan economic relations in the context of bilateral, regional and multilateral initiatives;

   3. Report on past and present trends in the bilateral economic relationship;

   4. Summary of areas of current collaboration, such as

      1. Existing structures, including the Joint Economic Committee, the 1976 Canada-Japan Framework for Economic Cooperation, the 1986 Canada-Japan Agreement on Cooperation in Science and Technology and the 1999 regulatory cooperation arrangement;

      2. Private-sector initiatives; and

      3. Priority areas of cooperation based on the 2005 Canada-Japan Economic Framework;

   5. Examination of existing measures limiting the full potential of trade and investment;

   6. Examination of the benefits and costs of further promotion of bilateral trade and investment, as well as other cooperative issues between the countries, including the assessment of the implications of further trade and investment liberalization and related policy instruments; and

   7. Summary of findings.