Japan and the Mercosur South American customs union said Saturday that they will launch a strategic partnership framework to deepen cooperation on trade, investment and supply chains.The Japanese government said it is arranging to hold the first meeting under the framework early next year, while Mercosur leaders met the same day in Brazil, where President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said the bloc aims to boost trade with nonmember countries.A joint statement said Japan and Mercosur are "one of each other's most important economic partners, with a significant potential for deepening and divers…READ FULL ARTICLE
