The Minister of Economy, Trade, and Enterprise, Carlos Cuerpo, will begin his second official visit to Tokyo in just over a year, with a clear agenda: to strengthen economic and trade ties between Spain and its largest Asian investor.
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The mission, which seeks to deepen cooperation in key areas such as clean energy, digitalization and innovation, comes at a time of record growth in the bilateral trade.
One of the highlights of the visit is the first entrepreneurship roadshow Spanish in Japan, an initiative organized by ICEX Spain Export and Investments. Body leads a delegation of businessmen and 'scaleups' (start-up companies in the growth phase) that seeks to connect with Japanese investors and consolidate Spain as a benchmark in technology and innovation.
"Numerous Spanish SMEs and entrepreneurs are making their way in Japan, conquering market niches through innovation and excellence," the minister stated. "In an international context of uncertainty, we must leverage our mutual trust to strengthen our ties and increase our benefits."
The delegation, which includes the CEO of ICEX, Elisa Carbonell, and the president of Cofides, Angela Perez, will focus on supporting the internationalization of Spanish companies and attracting greater Japanese investment to Spain.
Trade between the two countries reached a record high 7.800 million euros in 2024, consolidating a decade of sustained growth. The agri-food sector is the driving force behind Spanish exports to Japan, representing the 45% of total, with products such as pork, olive oil and wine at the forefront.
The economic relationship has been strengthened with the entry into force, on January 1, 2025, of EU-Japan Strategic Association Agreement, which will lay the foundation for closer political and economic cooperation.
Japan is a key investment partner for Spain. With 14.400 millones de euros of accumulated stock and more than 600 Japanese companies Established in our country, Japanese investment extends to strategic sectors such as the chemical industry, automotive, energy and information technology.
During the visit, Minister Cuerpo is scheduled to meet with his Japanese counterpart, Yoji Muto, and with the president of the Japan Investment Corporation, Keisuke Yokoo, to inaugurate the Spain-Japan Economic DialogueThis meeting seeks to assess trade flows, identify new areas of collaboration, and strengthen bilateral economic security.
The minister's agenda will conclude with a visit to the Spanish and Japanese pavilions at the Osaka Expo 2025, a demonstration of Spain's commitment to the global event.
