Japan, Austria sign customs cooperation agreement

May 8, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese and Austrian customs authorities have signed a memorandum of cooperation, the Japanese Finance Ministry said Wednesday.

The agreement took effect on Tuesday. Japan now has such agreements in place with 35 countries and regions.

Ahead of major international events in Japan such as the Group of 20 summit in Osaka in June and the Rugby World Cup starting in September, the ministry aims to tighten border controls on illegal drugs through exchanges of information with these economies.

The signing of the agreement with Austria was part of efforts by the ministry to reinforce cooperation with foreign customs authorities to prevent the smuggling of illegal drugs and terrorist attacks in Japan ahead of these events.

The latest move came as the ministry has been in talks with the customs authorities of member countries of the European Union, which is known for the strict management of air passenger information. Jiji Press