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- THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT
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- The Japanese Government spending policy has given an
- indirect boost to the competitiveness of a number of
- Japanese industries. In the past, the government directed
- considerable public and private resources to targeted
- priority areas, but has been moving away from such
- industrial policy measures, partly in response to criticism
- by Japan's trading partners of these export-oriented
- policies. The Japanese Government continues to promote
- high technology cooperation among firms and plays a direct
- role in organizing these efforts, using off-budget
- resources and small amounts of appropriated funds to
- contribute to investment projects and government/private
- sector efforts.
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- The trade agencies of the Japanese Government (the Ministry
- of International Trade and Industry, the Japan External
- Trade Organization, and the Manufactured Imports Promotion
- Organization) are under pressure from foreign countries to
- implement further market opening measures. These agencies
- are now cooperating with the United States in the Joint
- Trade Expansion Program to increase American exports to
- Japan. Unlike past market-opening packages, the Japanese
- Government is now backing its pledges with substantial sums
- of money on a case-by-case basis for import promotion from
- the United States.
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- The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI):
- MITI is responsible for the formulation and implementation
- of the government's trade and industrial policy. With the
- Ministries of Finance, Construction, Transportation,
- Agriculture, and Forestry and Fisheries, as well as the
- Economic Planning Agency, MITI occupies a central position
- in what the Japanese call the economic bureaucracy. MITI
- is regarded as one of the three most powerful and
- prestigious ministries of the central government (together
- with the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Foreign
- Affairs). MITI has overall responsibility for trade
- matters, and it funds most of the government's export
- promotion programs. However, day-to-day management and
- operation of these programs is the Japan External Trade
- Organization's responsibility. MITI functions include both
- policy-making and operations. On export-related matters,
- it supervises the export financing programs of Japan's
- Export-Import Bank, operates several types of export
- insurance programs, supports research organizations, and
- facilitates various types of overseas technical and
- cooperation training programs.
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- The Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO): Although
- legally placed under MITI's aegis, JETRO administers the
- export programs of the Japanese Government with virtual
- independence. MITI subsidizes roughly 60 percent of JETRO's
- total annual expenditures and, technically, has final
- decision-making authority over JETRO management and
- programs. Originally established to help Japanese firms
- export, JETRO now also assists American companies seeking
- to export to Japan and promotes Japanese investment in the
- United States. JETRO publishes a number of market
- information reports and other pamphlets useful to U.S.
- exporters. The degree of assistance you are able to
- receive from JETRO may vary. Minimally, you should obtain
- a publication list from the organization. Other JETRO
- trade promotion activities include:
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- Export to Japan Opportunity Database: This is a
- combination of two separate databases aimed at
- providing small and medium-sized overseas exporters
- with opportunities to do business with Japanese
- importers. The Potential Importer Database identifies
- Japanese companies and the merchandise they want to
- import. This data is freely accessible from each of
- JETRO's seven U.S. offices to help a potential U.S.
- exporter find a potential Japanese importer. The
- Potential Exporter Database provides the names of U.S.
- companies interested in exporting to Japan with full
- product descriptions. This database is available for
- use by Japanese importers at JETRO's Local
- Internationalization Centers in 49 locations throughout
- Japan.
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- Japanese Tops Information System: Not to be confused
- with the U.S. Department of Commerce TOP program, the
- JETRO TOPS (Trade Opportunity Service) is a
- closed-access database system for matching potential
- business partners. The JETRO TOPS system matches
- overseas exporters with Japanese importers from a
- database of tens of thousands of companies. Registered
- companies are provided with a list of potential
- business contacts. To register your company, complete
- the application form available at JETRO's seven U.S.
- offices.
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- Trade Fairs: Since 1985, JETRO has organized
- large-scale trade fairs in Japan for foreign products
- and services. Exhibitors in these events have
- benefited from JETRO's extensive network of contacts in
- Japanese industrial and distribution circles. In
- addition, JETRO has recently initiated a pilot project
- involving small-scale exhibitions of foreign products,
- exhibitions for spot sales, and import product
- promotion seminars in several Japanese cities. JETRO
- publishes a comprehensive annual directory titled List
- of Trade Fairs in Japan. For this publication and
- other trade fair information, call one of the seven
- U.S. JETRO offices.
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- Trade Complaints: Exporters who believe they have
- encountered nontariff barriers or other institutional
- problems related to trade should contact the U.S.
- Department of Commerce. In addition, complaints may be
- brought to the attention of JETRO. When JETRO deems it
- appropriate, trade complaints will be forwarded to the
- Office of Trade and Investment Ombudsman (OTO), which
- was established by the Japanese Government for the
- purpose of settling trade grievances. Complete
- information about the OTO is available at all JETRO
- offices.
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- JETRO offices in the United States are located at:
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- JETRO, New York JETRO, Chicago
- 44th Floor, McGraw-Hill Building 401 North Michigan Avenue
- 1221 Avenue of the Americas Suite 660
- New York, NY 10020 Chicago, IL 60611
- Phone: (212) 997-0400 Phone: (312) 527-9000
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- JETRO, Houston JETRO, Denver
- 1221 McKinney 1200 17th Street
- One Houston Center, Suite 2360 Suite 1110
- Houston, TX 77010 Denver, CO 80202
- Phone: (713) 759-9595 Phone: (303) 629-0404
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- JETRO, Los Angeles JETRO, San Francisco
- 725 Figueroa Street Suite 501
- Suite 1890 Qantas Building
- Los Angeles, CA 90017 360 Post Street
- Phone: (213) 624-8855 San Francisco, CA 94108
- Phone: (415) 392-1333
- JETRO, Atlanta
- 245 Peachtree Center Avenue
- Suite 2102
- Marquis One Tower
- Atlanta, GA 30303
- Phone: (404) 681-0600
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- The Manufactured Imports Promotion Organization (MIPRO):
- MIPRO is a nonprofit organization established in 1978 by
- the joint efforts of the Japanese Government and the
- private sector to promote the imports of foreign
- manufactured products by hosting various trade exhibitions
- and providing a wide range of market information. MIPRO's
- activities are broadly classified into the following three
- categories: (1) holding imported product trade exhibitions
- for buyers and the general public, (2) disseminating
- information regarding imported products and the Japanese
- market, and (3) promoting sales of foreign products to
- Japanese consumers to enhance their appreciation of the
- quality of imported goods. MIPRO operates under the aegis
- of JETRO and maintains an office in Washington, DC at (202)
- 659-3729.
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