The EU-Japan Centre’s office in Tokyo is regularly publishing "Industry and Policy News”. By screening various Japanese language sources of potential interest, including newly released policy documents, surveys, and official statements, this newsletter aims to provide information in the context of EU-Japan industrial cooperation. The topics of the January 2023 issue are as follows.

The Centre is also publishing on a weekly basis. The weekly releases are available on the following website with a new issue every Friday https://www.eu-japan.eu/news.                                                                                                    

This news was compiled by “Weekly Japanese Industry and Policy News”.

Legislation and Policy News
-    METI signs Memorandum of Cooperation with U.S. on human rights in supply chains 
-    METI and U.S. government release joint statement on energy security and clean energy transition
-    Japan and the United States conclude framework agreement on space cooperation
-    EU and Japan sign Administrative Arrangement for promotion of mutual sharing and utilization of satellite data
-    Former Japan-EU Business Roundtable Co-Chair Sakuyama visits Prime Minister Kishida and presents a proposal
-    Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Director General of National Telecommunications and Information Agency of the U.S.
-    Electric kickboard, no license required from July 1, can be ridden on "sidewalks" at speeds of 6 km/h or less
-    Trade ministers’ coalition meeting on climate change was held
-    The government aims to enact the GX promotion bill in the current Diet session

Survey and Business Data
-    Domestic new car sales in 2022 sluggish to the level of 50 years ago 4.2 million units, down 5.6% from the previous year
-    Corporate Goods Price Index rises 10.2% in December 2010, record high for the year
-    2022 trade deficit hits record high of JP¥ 19.9 trillion impacted by higher resource prices and weaker JP¥
-    Foreign visitors to Japan in 2022 was 3,831,900, the first increase in three years, but level of 10% to 2019

Company & Organization News
-    Sumitomo Forestry to construct a 7-story wooden office building in the United States
-    Sony-Honda launches sedan EV "AFEELA" in spring 2026
-    JFE Steel acquires blue credits for seaweed bed development project using steel slag products
-    Kuraray begins call for school bags donation to Afghanistan
-    Shimizu Corporation develops "Decarbonized" Soil Improvement Method
-    GE and IHI sign MoU to develop gas turbines that can operate on 100% ammonia
-    Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Total Energies of France succeeded in sea test of Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
-    Four Companies announced joint feasibility study of large-scale and wide-area CCS value chain project using ship transportation
-    Mitsubishi Heavy Industries successfully launches H2A rocket equipped with information gathering satellite