(TheJapanNews) - The government is making arrangements to eliminate import tariffs on wine produced in European Union countries, including France and Italy, in the Japan-EU economic partnership agreement negotiations, The Yomiuri Shimbun has learned.

According to sources, Japan and the EU will enter the final stage of negotiations based on a plan to incrementally lower tariffs on wine from the EU and reduce them to zero about eight years after the effectuation of the EPA.

Japan currently imposes an import tariff of 15 percent on the price of wine from EU member countries or ¥125 per liter, whichever is less. Since the EPA between Japan and Chile came into effect in 2007, Japan’s tariff on Chilean wine has been lowered and now stands at 2.3 percent.

The EPA between Japan and Australia entered into force in 2015 and Japan’s import tariff on Australian wine is currently 7.5 percent.