The Kanto Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry will partner with trading firms well-versed in the situation in overseas markets to help small and medium enterprises export food products. It will hold seminars to learn from the trading firms’ knowhow and organize business fairs.

Once deals are made, the trading firms will provide in foreign countries comprehensive business support in market development, improvement of products, and so forth. The goal is to enhance the food industry’s overall capacity to earn profits by providing opportunities for small and medium enterprises with overseas business potential to receive extensive support.

The bureau will designate companies with overseas business experience that are willing to provide support to small and medium enterprises as “support business trading firms” and partner with these companies. Unlike the big general trading firms that deal in a wide range of trading activities, these companies have offices in certain areas in foreign countries and are able to support other companies in test marketing, market development, and other things.

The bureau reckons that there are dozens of such companies in its area of responsibility. It will hold its first seminar on Dec. 11. (Slightly abridged)