State Minister Ogushi Attends the OECD 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting, the Informal Gathering of WTO Ministers and the G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting

1. OECD 2025 MCM

State Minister Ogushi attended the Breakout Session 2-2: Actively Reinforcing Open Markets and a Rules-Based International Trading System and Breakout Session 3-1: How Trade Policies Should Be Considered in Light of Environmental and Social Goals. In the session 2-2 on trade, State Minister Ogushi underscored the importance of maintaining and strengthening a rules-based multilateral trading system and called for cooperation among OECD members in advancing WTO reform and achieving meaningful outcomes at the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14) scheduled for March 2026. The State Minister noted the importance of advancing specific initiatives to address non-market policies and practices to realize a global level playing field and to enhance economic security, including strengthening the resilience of supply chains of critical materials. He also highlighted the importance of broadly reaching out to non-OECD members. In the session 3-1 on the environment, the State Minister shared the following initiatives as trade and investment policies towards realizing net-zero: (1) promoting decarbonization projects depending on the circumstances of each country through the Asia Zero Emission Community (AZEC), and (2) proposing the formulation of guidance on measurement methodologies of carbon emissions in trade-related climate measures .

2. Informal Gathering of WTO Ministers

Chaired by Australia, the ministers discussed priority areas for WTO reform and tangible steps toward the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference (MC14). State Minister Ogushi stated that the WTO members should cooperate in upgrading rules to address non-market policies and practices to ensure a global level playing field. He remarked that the WTO members should continue to commit to Dispute Settlement system reform as well as ensure that disputes are resolved in accordance with the rules in the interim until the reform is realized. He also emphasized the necessity of the extension of the moratorium on customs duties on electronic transmissions.

3. G7 Trade Ministers’ Meeting

Under the chairmanship of Canada, discussions were held on the theme of building resilient and strong economies that support fair competition and predictable and stable global trade and investment. State Minister Ogushi emphasized that a rules-based trading system is indispensable in ensuring economic security and we should work together to strengthen and reform the system. He also stated that the G7 should collaborate on concrete efforts such as monitoring non-market policies and practices and excess capacity, strengthening rules, and diversifying supply chains and enhancing their resilience.

4. Bilateral talks

During his visit to Paris, State Minister Ogushi held bilateral meetings respectively with Mr. Pichai Naripthaphan, Minister of Commerce of Thailand, Mr. Todd McClay, Minister for Trade and Investment of New Zealand, and Mr. Mustafa Tuzcu, Deputy Minister of Trade of the Republic of Türkiye, exchanging views on the importance of maintaining and strengthening bilateral economic relations and the multilateral trading system.

1. Talks with Thailand’s Minister of Commerce Pichai

The two sides exchanged views towards the further strengthening of investment and business ties between Japan and Thailand and confirmed bilateral cooperation in promoting WTO reform to strengthen the rules-based trade order.

2. Talks with New Zealand’s Minister for Trade and Investment McClay

The two sides exchanged views on trade frameworks in the Asia-Pacific region, including the CPTPP, and towards further cooperation to strengthen the rules-based international trade order.

3. Talks with the Republic of Türkiye’s Deputy Minister of Trade Tuzcu

The two sides exchanged views on approaches to accelerate negotiations for the Japan-Turkey Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) and on cooperation in WTO reform.

Related Material

• Statement of the Chair of the 2025 MCM (English)

Division in Charge

Principal Director, International Economic Affairs Department, Trade Policy Bureau