ABSTRACT
Some foreign governments, which have been watching the remarkable activities of Japanese trading companies with great interest, intend to develop similar general trading companies in their own countries in order to increase exports. Since the oil crisis of 1973 big Japanese trading companies have been facing major problems. Foreign companies wishing to participate in these fast-growing industries in Japan can do so with the help of the general trading companies as developments show. The sphere of activities of general trading companies is not limited to Japan but covers the whole world; they export US grain to Europe, British machinery to South-East Asia and German chemicals to Latin America. For European trading companies the most practical way to succeed in the Japanese market is to utilise the financial and marketing capability of their Japanese counterparts which have established marketing and distribution channels for nearly every commodity and product throughout Japan.
