“Malta’s economy is open for business more than ever with Japan. The Malta Chamber will serve as a reliable and influential interlocutor for fostering of existing and new business relations” said Chamber President Frank V. Farrugia during a trade delegation in Japan.

Addressing meetings with Japanese business leaders, Farrugia explained how the Malta Chamber actively represents companies from all economic sectors internationally, ensuring that Maltese entrepreneurs would be able to conduct their business on a global scale through a vast array of opportunities.

He concurred with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s call to nurture further trade between the two nations in a substantive way based on our shared values, welcoming Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s statement that existing economic and commercial relations between the two countries are bound to strengthen.

The fact that both Japan and Malta are both part of Enterprise Europe Network is of great advantage to the potential for our companies to internationalise.

The Malta Chamber, an active organisation within the network spread over 64 countries, can serve as a key driver of opportunities in bringing companies together to manufacture or distribute products but also to transmit an understanding of procedural requirements to local entrepreneurs on how to access the international market and cooperate in joint research and development projects.

Japan is a market for high quality and value-added products and the 3rd largest economy in the world. The recent signing of the EU-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, which took place last month will improve terms of trade for products that we already trade substantially in, such as fisheries, electronic machinery, automobiles and knitted fabrics. Abolishing most tariff and non-tariff barriers in place today will facilitate trade with Japan as a result of simplified compliance procedures and less costly transactions, making exports of goods and services easier.

Confidence of better future economic ties between our countries has been instilled further through an aviation agreement signed between the two countries, further supported by a positive disposition to collaborate more closely on maritime rule of law.