A Japanese company meets with a Vietnamese partner at a ‘Good Goods Japan 2019’ event held in Hanoi on September 27, 2019. VIETNAM NEWS
The Japanese embassy in Phnom Penh, the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) and the Cambodia Chamber of Commerce (CCC) on February 3 jointly launched the first edition of Japanese products showcase “Good Goods Japan 2021” in the Kingdom.
JETRO Phnom Penh Office chief representative Marisa Haruta said “Good Goods Japan” provides an online business-matching platform and introduces the world to Japanese products in fields such as cosmetics, kitchen appliances, as well as baby and children’s essentials.
She said 22 Japanese companies will showcase an assortment of daily-use products at the event – held in Phnom Penh from February 3-4 – aiming to introduce the East Asian country’s latest lifestyle goods to the Cambodian market.
She added that the fair would match Japanese suppliers with Cambodian buyers and give them the opportunity to strike up new business relationships.
“The event will benefit the business communities in both countries … and increase trade volumes by importing high quality products into the Cambodian market, which will also contribute to national revenue through taxes,” Haruta said.
CCC director-general Nguon Meng Tech said the Japanese play an important role in increasing Cambodian economic development, with investment from the country rapidly rising over the past decade.
With more than 1,500 Japanese investors in Cambodia, he stressed that the Kingdom boasts an abundance of exciting, largely untapped potential in diverse sectors such as food processing, eco-tourism, manufacturing and human resource development.
“Cambodia has signed the RCEP [Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership] and free trade agreements with China and [soon with] South Korea that will enable the market to expand and the economy to flourish.
“Worth mentioning is Cambodia’s strategic location for partnerships, with the utmost suitability as a production base and eased access to international marketing channels,” Meng Tech said.
Speaking at the event, Japanese ambassador to Cambodia Masahiro Mikami said life expectancy of Japan is the highest in the world and that the “healthcare industry”, which he said includes the health and beauty sectors, is said to be valued in the order of $300 billion.
This, he said, reflects the vast amount of interest that exists in the health and beauty sector in Japan.
“I hope many successful business meetings will be held at this event and that they will provide Cambodian people with many opportunities to enjoy high quality Japanese products. I also hope for the further development of the friendship between Cambodia and Japan,” Mikami said.
He claimed that the Japanese products are designed with the booming market in mind and are of the highest quality and praised around the world.
“I am convinced that the Japanese products that are being exhibited today will find favour with the people of Cambodia as well.
“I strongly believe that this event will introduce Cambodian buyers to a host of high quality Japanese products and will utilise state-of-the-art online systems to connect buyers in Cambodia with appropriate Japanese suppliers,” he said.
Minister of Commerce Pan Sorasak said the event would encourage direct negotiations between Cambodian and Japanese businessmen and motivate them to establish business forums.
“I would like to express my congratulations and appreciation to JETRO Japan for initiating this trade matching programme to pave the way for Japanese goods to penetrate the Cambodian market,” he said.
From 1994 to 2018, the Council for the Development of Cambodia approved 137 Japanese investment projects in the Kingdom with a total capital of $2.486 billion, according to the ministry.
