Activities Helping Japanese SMEs Expand Their Businesses Overseas
JETRO helps Japanese companies, including SMEs, to expand their businesses overseas. Some specific areas in which we provide assistance include helping to develop overseas sales channels through digital projects, such as the cross-border e-commerce platforms JAPAN MALL and Japan Street. We also provide support by facilitating cooperation with local governments and financial institutions nationwide through the Consortium for a New Export Nation, and by nurturing companies that can succeed in the global marketplace through hands-on expert support, as well as by holding exhibitions and arranging business meetings.
Providing information to support overseas expansion
We provide the information necessary to expand overseas through briefings by our overseas office, consultations with trade investment advisors and by holding classes that provide know-how on overseas expansion.
Hands-on support for individual companies
At the Consortium for a New Export Nation, experts with in-depth knowledge of the trade practices and conditions of other countries and regions provide continuous support with everything from formulating an overseas expansion strategy to crafting and implementing a business plan. Depending on a company’s needs, this support can extend to participating in company/site visits, business meetings and overseas trips. Our experts provide support on all things necessary to expand a business overseas such as trade practices, legal and tax matters, and standard certifications.
Supporting the development of overseas sales channels through DX projects such as cross-border e-commerce platforms
Through e-commerce platforms and other digital technologies, we support companies in their efforts to conduct business overseas. We also assist with coordination and provide support for negotiations with major e-commerce buyers from around the world, and help companies looking to sell their products on overseas e-commerce websites with exhibitions and sales . In addition, we enthusiastically support meetings with international buyers through Japan Street, an online catalog site that can be viewed only by a limited number of overseas buyers who are invited by JETRO.
Japan Street for the development of overseas sales channels online
Supporting overseas sales channel development at trade fairs, exhibitions, and by arranging meetings
We support exhibitors participating in JETRO-sponsored Japan Pavilions at overseas trade fairs and exhibitions. We also coordinate meetings in Japan between domestic exporters and overseas buyers. We assist with making preliminary arrangements for these types of meetings through pre-matching and other steps.
Human resource development courses to sharpen overseas business skills
We offer the following courses: 1) “International Businessperson HR Juku (Cram School),” a course aimed at SMEs in which we teach practical skills such as how to formulate strategies for overseas business expansion and conduct business negotiations and 2) “Course in Managing Local Subsidiaries,” a course aimed at managers or executives of local subsidiaries in Asia, with a focus on the ASEAN region. A major topic in the course 3) “Insufficient Human Resources” deals with SMEs aiming to expand overseas. At JETRO, to comprehensively support internal human resource development for SMEs, there is the course 4) “SME Overseas Business HR Development Juku (Cram School).”
Support for Business Expansion in Frontier Markets
We are striving to help Japanese companies expand their businesses in emerging and developing markets.
In “high value-added industrial fields” like medicine, nursing, and bio-technology, we also provide seamless support to SMEs and others in helping them expand their business abroad through overseas market research, consulting services, participation in domestic and overseas trade fairs, and business meetings, with a special emphasis on emerging countries in Asia and the Middle East, where medical infrastructure is rapidly growing and the name Japan is virtually synonymous with the word “health.”
Support for Businesses in Developing Countries
Japan Africa Public-Private Economic Forum in South Africa
Japan Pavilion at the 2023 BIO International Convention
Support for overseas business expansion based on stages of development
We provide hands-on support to companies that are in the early stages of expanding overseas through the Consortium for a New Export Nation. We have a Business Center equipped with a temporary office, where advisors offer consulting services. We also assist companies based on their individual stages of development through consultations with local experts regarding the operation of their overseas subsidiaries.
Business Support Center (Ahmedabad, India)
Facilitating the activities of Japanese companies operating in foreign countries
We strive to facilitate the local business activities of Japanese companies overseas through “the SME Overseas Expansion Support Platform,” which is made up of local cooperating organizations, and by making use of our overseas investment advisors. In addition, we provide information and offer matching services to expand the sales channels of local Japanese companies and diversify procurement from third countries.
Facilitating the activities of Japanese companies operating locally overseas through contributions to local governments and other organizations
We serve as the secretariat of the Asia Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF), whose members are trade promotion agencies in Asia, established in 1987. The forum contributes to the promotion of trade in Asia through the free exchange of ideas, the promotion of joint projects, and the strengthening of member networks. In order to the strengthen the system for providing information to Japanese companies considering expanding into Africa, we have set up a Japan Desk within the Africa Business Desk.
- Africa Business Desk (Japan Desk)
The Asian Trade Promotion Forum (ATPF) CEO Meeting (Online)
Other programs and services
JETRO Global Eye (currently streaming online and broadcast through other media) is an international business information program that has since 2000 covered the latest trends in the global economy and industry, as well as providing useful information about international business such as trade and investment. On JETRO’s website, there is also the “My Page” function, which allows you get the customized news and information from the area of the website that interest you most. In addition to this, at our roughly 70 overseas offices, our expatriate staff and professional advisors can provide information about general local economic conditions and the business environments in their locations. Online briefings have also started (only available to eligible members).
