The largest delegation from Japan to visit Serbia, comprising over 100 businesspeople from 75 companies, is participating in the Serbia-Japan Business Forum.
The forum hosted more than 300 bilateral meetings between company representatives from sectors such as information technology and digitalization, energy and environmental protection, the automotive and aerospace industries, robotics, biotechnology, agrotechnology, tourism, trade, and services.
Susumu Kataoka, President of the Japan External Trade Organization, emphasized that the number of businesspeople from Japan visiting Serbia is a testament to the strong interest in cooperation.
“The Japanese agency has been monitoring Serbia’s development over the past 15 years. The first Japanese investment in Serbia was by JTI in 2006, followed by investments from companies Hi-Lex and Yazaki. Today, Japanese investments have expanded into the pharmaceutical and ICT sectors,” Kataoka said.
He added that, according to a recent survey conducted among Japanese businesspeople, 50 percent of companies plan to expand their operations in Europe.
According to data from the Serbian Statistical Office, the total foreign trade with Japan from January to June this year amounted to $160.1 million.
Total exports during that period reached $35.4 million, while $124.7 million worth of goods were imported.
According to the Serbian Business Registers Agency, there are currently 17 active business entities in Serbia whose majority owners are Japanese nationals or legal entities registered in Japan.
Photo: Boban Ristić/PKS