# Fumiharu Ito Associate Deputy Director, Ministry of Finance, Japan ![Headshot of Fumiharu Ito.](/sites/g/files/omnuum8416/files/styles/hwp_4_5__320x400/public/2025-07/ito-fumiharu.jpg?h=aff7ffd9&itok=RsmFsFBJ) email **Research Project:** Determinants of the FTA Utilization Rate: A Case Study of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement Fumiharu Ito received his Bachelor of Economics and Master of International Studies from the University of Tokyo, and M.A. in Public Policy at King’s College London. Since joining the Ministry of Finance (MOF), his career has focused on customs and tariff-related issues, particularly on international negotiations, including Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) and the World Trade Organization (WTO), and international cooperation and capacity building through the World Customs Organization (WCO) and Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Most recently, he was responsible for policymaking for Japan Customs’ enforcement against IPR-infringing goods. Additionally, he has extensive experience in policymaking related to the IMF, policy analysis at MOF’s Policy Research Institute, and work on the US-Japan relationship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His research project is on "Determinants of the FTA Utilization Rate: A Case Study of the U.S.-Japan Trade Agreement." - ## People Categories [Associates and Postdoctoral Fellows 2025-26](/2025-26) [Associates](/people-categories/associate)