2018 Survey Report on Japan-based Companies Operating in the San Francisco Bay Area

Aug 31, 2018

OVERVIEW 

Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) San Francisco office has just released the 2018 edition of the "Survey Report on Japan-based Companies Operating in the San Francisco Bay Area (Northern California).


The objective of this survey is to help facilitate the business operations—including the formulation of management strategies—of Japan-based companies operating in the Bay Area by studying and analyzing their activities there and presenting a report on the results of this analysis. 


The survey also aims to contribute to improving business conditions in the area by providing the California state government and other authorities with information on the contributions these companies make to the local economy, as well as on the problems and challenges they face in their business development.



REPORT SUMMARY

  1. The number of Japan-based companies operating in the 26 counties in Northern California totaled 913, the highest number ever recorded since this series of surveys was first conducted in 1992, and a dramatic increase compared to the previous high of 770 recorded in the 2016 survey. Of the 913 companies, 143 were identified in the current survey.

  2. Financial status: Data on the financial status of Japan-based companies show they have continued performing well since the previous survey. More than 60 % of companies (62.3%) were profitable in 2017, the highest level recorded in this series of surveys.

  3. Contribution to the local economy: Japan-based companies have created employment for an estimated 47,222 people in the Bay Area.

  4. Business environment: Bay area advantages that attract Japan-based companies are listed in descending order of importance: the existence of a large market; the mild climate; its role as an industrial hub, and the presence of universities and research institutes. The percentage of companies choosing the mild climate as the key advantage has increased from the previous survey. This is most likely a result of several catastrophic natural disasters that the U.S. has experienced in recent years.



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