Assistance for New Zealand companies investing in Japan

The Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) aims to help more New Zealand companies increase their level of business activity in Japan throughout Export Year 2007 and beyond.

The Japanese economy has been recovering strongly over the last four years, but there is recognition at official levels that Japan needs to continue acquiring new management thinking and technology from abroad to contribute to the process of structural reform that is underway and to revitalize the Japanese economy.

All but a small fraction of New Zealand companies exporting to Japan manage their businesses from New Zealand, but during Export Year, when New Zealand companies are being encouraged to step up their level of foreign business activity, JETRO hopes more firms will consider the advantages of stationing a least one manager in Japan.

By having an office in Japan, New Zealand companies are better positioned to manage and build their export businesses more effectively. Close proximity to customers allows managers to keep up with changing market trends, competitor behaviour and to take advantage of business opportunities that arise. They can also establish new business relationships and foster existing ones more effectively by being available to meet when necessary.

JETRO Auckland’s director, Kohei Suzuki, would like New Zealand businesspeople to be aware that JETRO’s support services, combined with various regulatory reforms, have made the process of setting up an office in Japan much more straightforward than it once was.


Free temporary office space located in Japan's key cities

To encourage foreign companies to invest in Japan, in May 2003, JETRO’s head office in Tokyo opened the Invest Japan Business Support Centre - a one-stop shop that provides foreign companies with all the information and advice they need to get their business up and running. Companies using the centres (now located in six key cities), can use free office space for up to two months and receive advice from JETRO’s staff and consultants on the procedural aspects of establishing a business. Over the last three years, seven New Zealand companies have made use of JETRO’s services in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka.

The eligibility criteria for receiving assistance are simple: JETRO looks for companies with a sound business record that can demonstrate a viable business plan for their investment in Japan.


JETRO facilitates business meetings at high-tech trade fairs in Japan

JETRO is also keen to find New Zealand companies in the ICT, biotechnology and nanotechnology sectors that are interested in forming business relationships with Japanese firms. To this end, JETRO facilitates business meetings at three specific annual trade fairs: Bio Japan, CEATEC (ICT) and Nanotech.

The New Zealand biotech industry was first represented at Bio Japan by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) in 2005. The following year a representative of NZ Bio attended and an albumin exporter met several Japanese firms at the business-matching sessions. In 2007, ten biotech companies from New Zealand participated in the JETRO Biolink Forum. JETRO Auckland will be collaborating with NZTE to encourage New Zealand firms to attend the JETRO Biolink Forum in 2008.

JETRO also facilitates business meetings at CEATEC (Combined Exhibition of Advanced Technologies), Asia’s largest annual technology and electronics exhibition. The event itself is a valuable industry networking and information-gathering opportunity, which includes numerous seminars and other activities, but as with the Biolink Forum, the business-matching JETRO coordinates prior to the event increases the probability of tangible outcomes.