How to enter the Japanese market and benefit from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)

Enterprise Europe Network partners – the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation together with Vilnius and Kaunas Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts organised an online workshop for Lithuanian textile and apparel companies – "How to enter the Japanese market and benefit from the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA)" on Thursday, 24 September 2020.
The key objectives of the workshop were to prepare Lithuanian companies for doing business with Japanese companies, give more insights to Lithuanian companies on the textile and apparel market in Japan as well as to provide more information on EPA-related benefits.
After introductory remarks by Vilnius and Kaunas Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (EEN) representatives, Mr Marijus Muralis and Ms Agnė Jaraitė, the EU-Japan Center's Business Support Coordinator, Ms Eivilte Kandrataviciute, gave a brief overview of business support activities that are co-financed by the European Commission and the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Furthermore, the EU-Japan Centre's experts, Ms Chieko Nakabayashi and Mr Yvan Van Eesbeek, within given timeframe, presented several topics, including, an overview of Lithuanian, European and Japanese textile and apparel sectors, their economic relations, potential cooperation opportunities, planning process and procedures when exporting to Japan, as well as benefits of the EU-Japan Free Trade Agreement for Lithuanian companies.
Vilnius Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Crafts' local member Ms Laura Kaziukonienė, Director of "Geld Baltic", shared her experience in preparing and taking the first steps into the Japanese market, the challenges that she had to overcome, lessons learnt and shed light on useful programmes and assistance provided by the EU-Japan Center for Industrial Cooperation.
Most of the online workshop's participants are considering possible business cooperation with Japanese companies, as a result, the workshop proved to be very useful and will help Lithuanian textile and apparel companies in developing business partnerships with Japanese companies in the foreseeable future.
Link to the event