Overview
Reflecting METI's policy priorities, the projects for this 2025-2027 period cover the following topics:
- Trade and investment rules in the era of economic security:
"America First Trade Policy" and its impact on the multilateral trading system; new developments in EU economic security; trade and investment rules for supply chain resilience; legal and policy frameworks for energy and critical minerals security; emerging technologies and trade management of strategic goods (e.g., semiconductors, high-capacity batteries). - Expansion and development of the CPTPP:
recent developments in the accession of China and Taiwan, assessment of the UK's accession, enlargement negotiations and general review. - Multilateral regulation of digital trade:
WTO digital trade negotiations, specific issues on DFFT (e.g., privacy, cybersecurity, government access, data sovereignty), international frameworks for AI governance, multilateral rules for digital taxation, antitrust regulation of digital platforms, etc. - Research on WTO dispute settlement:
review of recent WTO panel and Appellate Body reports, Appellate Body crisis, MPIA, review of FTA/EPA cases and procedures (CPTPP, USMCA).
June 2, 2025 - November 30, 2027
（During the research project period, the research activity period is set from June 2, 2025, to May 31, 2027, and the data usage reporting period is set from June 1, 2027 to November 30, 2027.）
