U.S. environmental businesses can assess Japanese market opportunities

New York, NY– In an effort to increase U.S. investment in Japan and strengthen the competitive position of U.S. companies in the region, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) has created a distinctive business partnering program designed to help U.S. companies best assess market opportunities and develop possible partnerships and alliances in the environmental technology sector.

The initiative will take place from May 15 through May 21 in the Greater Nagoya and Tokyo regions and will target U.S. companies in the environmental goods and services industry, which includes pollution management, cleaner technologies and products and resource management. Executives from U.S. companies will be matched with a number of potential Japanese companies for one-on-one meetings to discuss business partnerships, strategies, products, technologies and financing.

There is no cost for U.S. companies to participate in this program and the meetings are part of a larger business briefing initiative and mission to Japan, which will coincide with the 2005 World Expo, Aichi, Japan. The full program includes one-on-one meetings with Japanese companies in Nagoya and Tokyo throughout the week, a full-day investment seminar program in Nagoya, opportunities for corporate and product presentations to Japanese participants, free passes and tours to the 2005 Aichi World Expo, tours of Industrial Parks and Facilities in Nagoya, reception at U.S. Embassy in Tokyo and an optional Tour to Chiba region.

In 2000, the Japanese government set the stage for the growth of eco-business. The Japanese government enacted environmental policies propelling Japan from a disposal-based society to a recycle-based society. The change in policy represents a concerted effort to enter a recycling and closed-circuit manufacturing model to reduce waste and pollution production.

Japan is leading the world in the development of new technologies in areas such as waste disposal, air pollution control, soil and water purification, sewage treatment, alternative energy and recycling technologies. Possible market entry approaches include the development of products such as small and medium-sized fusion furnaces; plants turning incinerated residue to glass and affordable and small-scale incinerators equipped with dioxin countermeasures.

The business mission to Japan is taking place in the greater Nagoya area, in tandem with the 2005 World Expo. This year’s Expo is themed, “Nature’s Wisdom,” and each of the 120 participating nations will bring ideas for the sustainable development of the world economy, giving impetus to the establishment of programs and technologies that focus on economic development while at the same time preserving our natural environment.

For information, contact Naomi Ohashi at JETRO New York at 212-819-7746 or Naomi_Ohashi@jetro.go.jp. Registration forms are available at the temporary JETRO website at: www.investinjapan.or/html/japanmission05.html.