Chairman's Messages

Chairman's Speeches


Chairman
KOBAYASHI Ken
(Member of the Board,
Corporate Advisor,
Mitsubishi Corporation)

The spread of COVID-19 has given a serious blow to the global economy by restricting the movement of people and goods and causing the stagnation of economic activity. However, through the development of vaccines and digitalization at an unseen rate, the world is striving to overcome this crisis. Societies and economies are undergoing a great transformation in response to the COVID-19 crisis and the world is now at a historic turning point.

In international relations, the COVID-19 crisis has given rise to protectionism or nationalism in several countries. The Japanese government has made efforts to promote trade and investment, which have led to concrete achievements including the signing of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Agreement and the Japan-UK Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement. In the United States, with the inauguration of the Biden administration, we have seen a turning of the tide from an “America First” policy to a return to international cooperation. The role Japan should play in building a free and open trading system and establishing international cooperation to that end is becoming ever more important.

At the same time, the world is making great strides toward decarbonization. More than 125 countries and regions have already made carbon-neutral pledges, and individual companies are attaching greater importance to low-carbon and carbon-free initiatives.

Amid this growing momentum of international cooperation, the Shosha sector is now required not only to continue its efforts to promote and expand trade and investment, but also to contribute to the building of a sustainable economy and society through a review of supply chains broken by the COVID-19 crisis, initiatives to resolve social issues such as climate change, and the creation of new businesses that make full use of digital transformation.

Expectations are high for the role of the Japan Foreign Trade Council, Inc. (JFTC) to act as “Pioneers of a New Era”. Working in close cooperation with the Japanese government and trade authorities in other countries, we will make increasingly proactive policy proposals for the maintenance and development of the free trade and investment regime and to establish institutional systems and a business environment conducive to free corporate activities. In addition, based on the government’s policies, we will strive together with our member companies to prevent the spread of COVID-19, promote the realization of a digital society including the establishment of a new digital agency, and resolve various challenges we face today, such as the problem of low fertility and aging population and the need to promote regional revitalization.

In January 2021, we moved from Hamamatsu-cho, which had been our base for half a century, to our new office in Kasumigaseki. We very much hope you will give us your continued support.