TOKYO: The EU and Japan agreed a deal Saturday on cross-border data flows that will facilitate online trade among businesses and send a strong message against “digital protectionism”, the European Union said. Signed on the sidelines of the ongoing G7 trade ministers‘ meeting in Osaka, the agreement is meant to make doing online business “easier, less costly and more efficient”, the European Commission said in a statement.
Specifically, it will release businesses of “cumbersome” and “costly” administrative or data localisation requirements that have been a hindrance to companies both in Japan and Europe, the statement said. The EU has already made similar data rules part of its agreement with trade partners including New Zealand and the United Kingdom.