KIEŁTYKA GŁADKOWSKI KG Legal took part in a webinar devoted to the development opportunities of Polish enterprises on the Japanese market in the food industry
Publication date: February 06, 2024
On February 6, 2024, Krzysztof Wilk, of KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI KG LEGAL took part in a training and a webinar devoted to the topic of development opportunities for Polish enterprises in the context of expansion to the Japanese market. Attention was paid primarily to the agricultural and food industry and how to build business relationships with Japanese partners. The event was organized by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PFR Group), and was attended by many experts and entrepreneurs who shared their knowledge as part of the training.
During the training, many issues were raised, including strategic and legal issues, as well as practical advice on what steps should be taken to start exporting products to Japan. First of all, the Japanese market was described in size and structure, what are the quality requirements and what is the required documentation regarding the products. The above-mentioned issues were presented both by Polish entrepreneurs already operating on the Japanese market and by foreign institutes providing assistance in establishing cooperation between European and Japanese companies. Moreover, the training discussed the barriers and potential opportunities generated by cooperation with Japanese entities. Among the barriers, the most important was the time needed to establish business relations, it was repeated that cooperation with Japanese companies requires time, because all legal and administrative obligations related to admitting a product to the Japanese market require a number of actions, often time-consuming. Among the advantages, it was pointed out that Japan is a country that has to import a significant part of its food needs, so it is an opportunity for Polish products. It was emphasized that Japanese customers value regional European products that are both qualitative and affordable. It was also indicated that the best way to acquire new business partners is to participate in various fairs organized abroad or in Poland, during which you can directly meet potential partners. During the meeting, the issues of current trends on the Japanese market were also discussed, and the significant share of healthy and organic products in the market was indicated.
The following parts of the training covered various forms of assistance and support, both from European and Polish entities providing comprehensive support in expanding to the Japanese market. One of the guests from the Ministry of Development and Technology broadly discussed the benefits of concluding an agreement between the European Union and Japan (EPA agreement), listed a number of examples of favorable taxation among certain products and in what areas cooperation between the EU and Japan has been tightened. Then, Polish and European entities presented their mission and offer regarding support for entrepreneurs. The representative of the EU-Japan Center for Industrial Cooperation presented the scope of assistance and available tools for companies wishing to cooperate with Japanese partners, and the representative of the National Center for Agricultural Support discussed the KOWR tasks undertaken to promote Polish entrepreneurs on foreign forums and indicated the scope of support from website of the Center. In the summary of the meeting, speakers from the Polish Investment and Trade Agency summarized the information collected so far and presented from a practical point of view what steps should be taken to cooperate with Japanese business partners, taking into account what tools and opportunities PAIH provides for Polish entrepreneurs.
Undoubtedly, the training provided a number of valuable information and useful tips on how to start exporting your products to Japan. Thanks to the sharing of their experience by entrepreneurs currently operating on the Japanese market, it was possible to acquire valuable data that significantly accelerates and facilitates the process of constructing Polish-Japanese relations in the business aspect, existing cultural differences were indicated and how to properly prepare in the legal context (appropriate certificates, permits, product documentation). The training ended with the presentation of the economic program accompanying Poland’s participation in Expo 2025 Osaka and the conditions of participation accompanying the program, including the benefits of participation in it.
KIELTYKA GLADKOWSKI KG LEGAL, as an active member of Life Science Cluster in Poland actively assists clients operating in the area of food and novel food to develop and secure their business in Poland and abroad.
