An analysis of the current market and ist opportunities for European SMEs.

By Paul Van der Plas in the framework of the Minerva Fellowship Programme.

The research comprised a comprehensive analysis of the current Japanese dairy market and the role of EU exports within it. The report is offering a detailed insight in domestic production, imports, related industries and relevant market characteristics. Second, the report is providing a basic understanding of the degree to which EU dairy exports to Japan are covered by the recently signed Economic Partnership Agreement.

Agrofood exports, reaching a record €138 billion in 2017, are of great economic importance to the European Union. Japan, the 5th largest market for EU agrofood exports, showed an 11,2% growth in 2017. The export of dairy composed €11,3 billion, or 8,3%, of the EU’s 2017 agrofood exports, which is a 15,8% increase over the year before.

Due to the relative high price of raw milk, it is difficult for the Japanese dairy industry to be competitive on anything other than fresh dairy like drinking milk and yoghurt (even with the tariffs currently in place).

Additional document: podcast recorded session