News & Updates

Results of JETRO's 2020 Survey on Business Conditions of Japanese Companies in Europe

Mar 01, 2021

Serious impact on business performance from novel coronavirus. Japanese-affiliated companies based in Europe seeking to implement digitalization.

In September 2020, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) conducted its latest survey on the business conditions of Japanese-affiliated companies in Europe. 949 valid responses were received (66.9% response rate) out of 1,419 to whom we sent questionnaires.

Survey Items

  1. Operating Profit Forecast
  2. Current Domestic Market and Future Prospects
  3. Operational Challenges
  4. COVID-19 crisis
  5. Britain's Exit from the European Union
  6. Impact of Changes in Trade Environment
  7. EPA/FTA
  8. Local Procurement and Future Direction
  9. Future Promising Sales Destinations
  10. Business Outlook for Next 1 or 2 Years

Key Findings

For trade between Japan and the EU, the simple average of companies' responses (value-based procurement) from Japan for Japanese-affiliated companies based in the EU was 36.6%, an increase of 5.2 percentage points from the 2018 survey, conducted before the EU-Japan EPA came into effect.  With the utilization of the EU-Japan EPA also increasing, use of the self-declaration system is gradually being adopted. More than 70% of Japanese-affiliated companies based in the UK that import from Japan plan to utilize the Japan-UK EPA, or are considering utilizing it.

Summary of Survey Results

1. Operating profit forecast, domestic market conditions, and domestic market future prospects

  • The proportion of companies predicting profitability in 2020 was 48.5%. This was a 22-point decrease over the 70.5% of the previous year. This is the lowest level recorded since the survey changed from the previous manufacturing sector-only survey to include the non-manufacturing sector in 2012. The percentage predicting a loss recorded a new high (slide 1-1).
  • Responses indicating a decrease in operating profit (57.4%) for 2020 relative to the previous year were significantly higher than those indicating an increase (13.0%). The Hotel/travel industry has been seriously affected (1-5).
  • The proportion of companies responding "Better" or "Slightly Better" in relation to current market conditions in the country they are based in decreased significantly from 32.6% in the previous year’s survey to 8.0% (2-1).

Operating profit forecast trends, All sectors （Unit：％）

Regarding the Operating profit forecast for the survey year of Japanese companies in Europe. The number of valid responses is 828 in 2012, 979 in 2013, 961 in 2014, 948 in 2015, 996 in 2016, 937 in 2017, 743 in 2018, 818 in 2019, and 932 companies in 2020. 235 UK based Japanese companies in 2012, 273 in 2013, 272 in 2014, 273 in 2015, 287 in 2016, 243 in 2017, 191 in 2018, 186 in 2019, and 162 in 2020. 570 EU based Japanese companies in 2012, 686 in 2013, 674 in 2014, 664 in 2015, 695 in 2016, 683 in 2017, 538 in 2018, 619 in 2019, 752 companies in 2020. The percentage of Japanese companies in Europe who responded that they were profitable was 64.3% in 2012, 67.4% in 2013, 69.8% in 2014, 72.0% in 2015, 72.7% in 2016, 75.0% in 2017, 73.9% in 2018, 70.5% in 2019, and 48.5% 2020. The percentage of companies that responded that they were at loss was 18.8% in 2012, 16.6% in 2013, 13.0% in 2014, 13.1% in 2015, 12.6% in 2016, 11.5% in 2017, 12.8% in 2018, 13.7% in 2019, and 28.2% in 2020. The percentage of UK based Japanese companies who responded that they were profitable was 70.2% in 2012, 71.1% in 2013, 68.0% in 2014, 71.1% in 2015, 70.4% in 2016, and 71.6% in 2017, 75.4% in 2018, 70.4% in 2019, and 47.5% in 2020. The percentage of companies that responded that they were at loss was 16.6% in 2012, 15.0% in 2013, 15.4% in 2014, 15.0% in 2015, 13.9% in 2016, 11.5% in 2017, 9.9% in 2018, 10.8% in 2019, and 29.6% in 2020. The percentage of EU based Japanese companies who responded that they were profitable was 61.1% in 2012, 66.2% in 2013, 70.6% in 2014, 72.4% in 2015, 73.5% in 2016, 76.6% in 2017, 73.2% in 2018, 70.9% in 2019, and 48.1% in 2020. The percentage of companies that responded that they were at loss was 20.0% in 2012, 17.3% in 2013, 12.2% in 2014, 12.5% in 2015, 12.1% in 2016, 11.4% in 2017, 13.9% in 2018, 14.4% in 2019, and 28.2% in 2020.

2. The impact of COVID-19 and realignment of businesses

  • The most common operational challenge selected by all Japanese-affiliated companies based in Europe was "Spread of COVID-19", at 57.2%. By country, particularly high responses were recorded in Spain (87.5%), Switzerland (86.7%), and France (67.9%). In terms of specific COVID-19 issues, a high proportion of companies in Spain cited "Decline in consumption demand", while in Switzerland and France it was "Restrictions on cross-border travel" (3-1, 3-5).
  • Companies affected by COVID-19 seek to digitalize their operational strategies and business models. The expansion of working from home, and the enthusiastic use of initiatives such as utilization of virtual exhibitions and promotion of AI usage is striking (4-2).
  • For 2021 and beyond, a relatively high proportion of companies planned to begin "Changeover in procurement sources", "Streamlining by staff reduction", and "Reduction of expatriates" (4-2).
  • In terms of support policies offered by individual countries, "Support measures for investment in digitalization" attracted the most attention at 34.1%, with particularly high proportions in Italy (53.3%), the UK (42.7%), and Belgium (36.8%), which shows the enthusiasm of Japanese-affiliated companies based in Europe for digitalization (4-3).
Operational Challenges (Unit: %) (Europe, Multiple Answers Given)
No. Items 2018
(n=711)		 2019
(n=803)		 2020
(n=891)		 Change
since 2019
1 Spread of COVID-19 — — 57.2 —
2 High labour costs 40.5 40.3 40.4 0.1
3 UK’s exit from the EU — 56.5 39.7 △ 16.8
4 Securing Human Resources 43.6 41.8 34.0 △ 7.8
5 Lower prices offered by
competitors		 29.4 33.0 29.7 △ 3.3

Support measures recognized as an opportunity （by industry）（Unit：％）

Among the support measures introduced by the EU and each country as an initiative to recover business from the new corona, 34.1% of Japanese companies in Europe (all sectors, number of responses is 651) recognize Investment in digitalization , 32.3% of them recognize green investment, 28.6% of them recognize eco-car purchase support, 17.8% of them recognize fuel car purchase support, and 10% of them recognize tourism industry support, and 18.1% of them other measures as an opportunity.. In manufacturing sector (number of responses is 298), 32.6% of Japanese companies in Europe recognize Investment in digitalization, 28.9% of them recognize green investment, 33.2% of them recognize eco-car purchase support, 23.5% of them recognize fuel car purchase support, and 4.4% of them recognize tourism industry support, and 18.1% of them recognize other measures as an opportunity. In non-manufacturing sector (number of responses is 353), 35.4% of Japanese companies in Europe recognize Investment in digitalization, 35.1% of them recognize green investment, 24.6% of them recognize eco-car purchase support, 13.0% of them recognize fuel car purchase support, and 14.7% of them recognize tourism industry support, and 19.3% of them recognize other measures as an opportunity.

3. Britain’s exit from the EU

  • The most common operational challenge for Japanese-affiliated companies based in the UK continued to be "UK’s exit from the EU" (3-4).
  • In terms of trade issues after the end of the transitional period, nearly 70% of manufacturing companies based in the UK expressed concern regarding "Export from the UK to the EU", underpinning the importance of the EU market. 51.7% of manufacturing companies based in the UK expressed concern about "Export from the EU to the UK", reaching 78.3% if all companies expressing anxiety about either imports or exports were counted.
  • In terms of concerns about the business environment, the most common response for companies both in the UK and the EU was "Economic slump in the UK". In terms of specific concerns common to companies both in the UK and the EU in relation to "Changes in UK Regulations and Legislation", the most frequent response for the manufacturing sector was "CE marking", whereas for the non-manufacturing sector it was "Constraints of free movement of persons between the EU and UK" (5-5, 5-6).
  • For UK-based Japanese-affiliated companies from the manufacturing sector, the simple average of companies' responses (value-based procurement) from the EU was 13.5%, a decline of 10.4 percentage points over that of the previous year's survey. In response to questions about the future direction of procurement, 25.0% selected "Decrease", a rise of 2.3 points (8-2, 8-3).

Concerns Related to "Changes in UK Regulations and Legislation" (Left: UK, Right: EU)（Unit：％）

Regarding concerns related to

4. Utilization of the EU-Japan EPA

  • Regarding the utilization of the EU-Japan EPA by Japanese-affiliated companies based in the EU, the proportion of companies responding that they utilized it for imports from Japan to the EU (including the UK) was nearly half the total, at 48.1%. If "Preparing to utilize" and "Considering to utilize" are included, this rises to approximately 80%. By country, relatively high levels were recorded in Czechia (75.0%), the Netherlands (56.0%), Belgium (50.0%), Italy (50.0%), and Germany (46.0%) (7-1).
  • In terms of issues associated with utilization, approximately half of respondents cited "Cooperation with supplier/business partners", but on the other hand the "Proof of origin procedures (self-certification)" that occupied the top spot in the previous year's survey declined by more than 10 percentage points in the 2020 survey. With utilization of the EPA beginning to spread, securing the necessary rules of origin documentation from suppliers and business partners remains an issue for some companies (7-5).
  • The simple average of companies' responses (value-based procurement) from Japan for Japanese-affiliated companies based in the EU was 36.6%, which has grown by 5.2 percentage points from the 2018 survey, conducted before the EU-Japan EPA came into effect. In Germany and the Netherlands, where there are clusters of Japanese-affiliated companies and where the EPA is heavily utilized, the average rate exceeded 40% (8-1).
  • For Japanese-affiliated companies based in the UK that import/export between the UK and Japan, the proportion that responded that they were "Planning to utilize" or "Considering utilizing" the Japan-UK EPA for "Imports from Japan to the UK" was 73.7%. This appears to show the intention of companies based in the UK to achieve a smooth transition from the EU-Japan EPA to the Japan-UK EPA when it comes into effect on January 1, 2021 (7-9).

5. Other major trends

  • In relation to current market conditions in the country they are based in, companies in Central and Eastern Europe responding "Better" and "Slightly Better" totaled 23.4%, significantly higher than the same figure for Western Europe (6.3%). As for prospects, the percentage exceeded that for Western Europe by more than 10 percentage points (2-1, 2-2).
  • In terms of Business outlook for the next 1 or 2 years, the proportion of the Central and Eastern European manufacturing sector responding with "Expansion" was 45.2%, which was again more than 10 percentage points higher than the manufacturing sector in Western Europe (10-1).
  • In terms of operational challenges, the proportion of manufacturing sector companies based in Central and Eastern Europe responding "Rapid labour costs growth", although lower than in the previous survey, exceeded that of "Spread of COVID-19" (4-3).
  • Approximately 30% responded "Poland" when asked about future promising sales destinations. Of the top 10 such countries, 5 were in Central and Eastern Europe, showing that expectations towards this region are shifting from the previous perception of being primarily production bases to becoming markets in their own right (9).

Tanaka Susumu, Fukui Takayasu, Yamada Yoshiyuki
Europe, Russia and CIS Division, JETRO
Tel: 03-3582-5569
E-mail: ORD@jetro.go.jp