Export to Japan 13: EU Advantages–Footwear & Leather

Various EU products and services began to enjoy benefits from the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) which entered in force on 1 February 2019, and we are seeing a considerable increase of EU exports to Japan. But yet many EU exporters, particularly small and medium-scaled enterprises (SMEs) perceive access to Japanese market difficult because of unfamiliar trade and business practices.

This is a series of online training which presents the latest market information available in 2020-21 and explain in practical terms the most important things that EU companies should know when exporting to Japan so that the benefits of free trade can become more widely available to EU exporters for the second year of the EU-Japan EPA.

What should you know when entering footwear and leather market in Japan?

With EU tanners’ long tradition and expertise of producing all kinds of leather, the EU produces a quarter of world's leather goods. The EU is a lead exporter of high-quality leather and finished leather goods to Japan. As for Japan’s leather industry, it lost international competitiveness as cheaper leather goods enter from Asia and high-end quality leather goods from Europe into Japan.

Imported leather goods dominate in Japan’s leather handbag market; and EU exporters sell branded, genuine leather bags with premium prices to meet consumer demand, while Japan’s leather footwear market is not expanding in size as consumer preference changes to comfortable shoes and to a variety of shoe materials other than genuine leather.

EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) gives a tariff advantage and Japan’s legal protection a quality advantage to EU exporters. This webinar assists EU companies, in particular small- and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), in familiarising with Japanese leather and leather goods market and in reviewing marketing strategies for the future.

In 30 minutes from your desk, you will understand

• Japan’s Leather Industry and Finished Leather Goods Market - Domestic Production Capacity and Import Dependency
• EU Leather Industry and Export to Japan
• EU Advantages on Leather and Leather Goods –Tariff Advantages and Legal Protection

Programme:

• Introduction
• Expert’s presentation
• Q&A Session

Registration deadline: 16 February 2021

Speaker: Chieko Nakabayashi
Moderator: Pauline Laloux, Business Support Coordinator, EU-Japan Centre
Organiser: EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation - Brussels Office

AFTER EVENT INFORMATION