[1][2] The agreement was agreed in principle by both parties in September 2020 and signed in Tokyo in October 2020, following the United Kingdom's withdrawal from the European Union in January 2020.

[3] On 9 June 2020 Toshimitsu Motegi, Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Liz Truss, the UK's Secretary of State for International Trade, agreed to launch negotiations and to establish the future economic partnership between Japan and the United Kingdom.

[11] The agreement is largely similar to the European Union–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement concluded in February 2019, but with small changes made in regards to financial services, digital trade and rules of origin.

[12] The UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was agreed in principle by Truss and Motegi on a video call on 11 September 2020.

[13] The UK–Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement was signed by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss and Japan's Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi in Tokyo 23 October 2020.