Thread by @CoppetainPU

Remember that ground-breaking 🇬🇧 UK-Japan 🇯🇵 trade deal?

The one that was so much better than the 🇪🇺 EU-Japan 🇯🇵 deal because the names of 70 British products would now be protected?

🇬🇧 Stornoway Black Pudding, Wensleydale, English sparkling wine, Scotch beef and more?

1/14

Remember—from a year ago today—this ⬇️ with @GregHands and @EvanHD?

The claim: this is better than the EU-Japan deal—because it easier to protect additional British geographical indications.

2/14

https://twitter.com/CoppetainPU/status/1319674252224757762?s=20

Here’s ⬇️ what @GregHands told @EvanHD on @BBCPM:

“Up to 70” UK names to be protected.

“Things like Stornoway Black Pudding, the potential for Wensleydale Cheese, English Sparkling Wine, Scotch Beef etc, etc”

4/14

The UK Department of International Trade followed up with this ⬇️ thread

5/14

https://twitter.com/tradegovuk/status/1320841865613217794?s=20

This ⬇️ is what @EvanHD’s asked: “Did Greg Hands get it wrong? (I'd prefer a nuanced answer. A little wrong? Sort of wrong? Sort of right? Basically right in essence?)”

I’d say “wrong”. Not even “sort of”.

But not for the obvious reason.

Why?

6/14

https://twitter.com/EvanHD/status/1320666480007106560?s=20

1. A year later, has protection for any new British names been approved in Japan?

No.

The official Japanese list for foods still has only the original three UK names ⬇️

7/14 maff.go.jp/e/policies/int…

And the official Japanese list for wines and spirits still contains these ⬇️ (no UK wines)

8/14 nta.go.jp/english/taxes/…

This ⬇️ is what the UK government said at the time: “The UK will provide Japan with our list of GIs in 2021.”

9/14 assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/upl…

@tradegovuk even announced on Twitter that it would submit a list of 70 British names in January 2021.

It said protection would be completed within five months (in the previous tweet in the thread ⬇️).

10/14

https://twitter.com/tradegovuk/status/1320842176528633862?s=20

A year later, here’s ⬇️ an update from @tradegovuk.

Talks started early in 2021. The UK list was submitted in April.

These British geographical indications “will now go through Japan’s procedures as quickly as possible”.

11/14 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2020/10/26/fac…

2. So whether or not new names have been registered, they surely will be, in due course. That’s not what was wrong.

3. What was wrong was the claim that this could only be done under the 🇬🇧 UK-Japan 🇯🇵 deal.

It was/is possible under 🇪🇺 EU-Japan 🇯🇵

12/14

https://twitter.com/GregHands/status/1319992667921633281?s=20

In fact, while no new British names have been protected in Japan, since Feb 1, 2021 the EU has obtained protection in Japan for 28 new names

13/14 tradebetablog.wordpress.com/2020/10/26/fac…

So the answer to @EvanHD’s question:

@GregHands and @tradegovuk were wrong to claim the UK-Japan CEPA “goes substantially further than the existing EU deal” on geographical indications.

The EU has added 28 new names.

The UK? None (so far).

14/14/end

https://twitter.com/EvanHD/status/1320666480007106560?s=20

P.S. Apparently there are 17 more EU names in the pipeline. This list was published in August, with comments open.

(These Japanese sites are not easy to follow. Perhaps something is lost in translation. Someone will know)

maff.go.jp/e/policies/int…

@EmilyThornberry tackles a different aspect of the whole Japan-UK agreement

https://twitter.com/EmilyThornberry/status/1451910001409368074?s=20

Follow-up clarification ⬇️, 24 hours later

https://twitter.com/CoppetainPU/status/1452198087791947780?s=20