On 11 September 2020, the UK Government issued a press release stating that it had secured a free trade agreement with Japan. This is the UK’s first major trade deal as an independent trading nation and will increase trade with Japan by an estimated £15.2 billion. The UK Government states that UK businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan and that the deal includes “cutting-edge” digital and data provisions that go far beyond the EU-Japan deal. The press release also states that the deal is an important step towards joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. This will give UK businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region and help increase the resilience and diversity of supply chains.