Global Trade Alert

 On 24 December 2014, following a ruling of the Dutch Supreme Court, Japanese citizens gained labour market access to the European country. The court ruled that the most-favoured nation clause ought to be applied to the Netherlands-Japan trade agreement from 1912 following the Dutch-Swiss Treatise from 1875. Hence, Japanese workers ought to be treated in the same way as Swiss ones.
On 20 June 2016, the Dutch and Swiss governments issued an interpretative statement to their Treatise, clarifying that the migration-part of the document is subject to "being without prejudice to the relevant national legislation relating to foreigners with respect to the admission to stay on the territory, the right to work in any form of (self)employment including the requirement of work permits, and the establishment of businesses". This de facto annulled the Supreme Court ruling's effect on the labour market access for Japanese.
Hence, the access will be again restricted starting 1 October 2016, forcing Japanese to apply for a work permit prior to entering the country's labour market.
 
Update
The restriction reinstatement was postponed to 1 January 2017.