Business Missions to Japan & Korea

A business mission to Tokyo and Seoul by 21 Greek food companies was organised with great success by Enterprise Greece and the Heads of the Commercial Offices of the Greek embassies in both cities.

The business mission was a follow-up to B2B meetings held from 30 May to 3 June 2016 in Athens and Thessaloniki. The 21 companies participating in the Greek delegation, headed by the Chairman of Enterprise Greece, Christos Staikos, held 290 meetings with 78 companies from Japan and Korea.

The Enterprise Greece Chairman, Christos Staikos, stated: “This year, we embarked on a comprehensive programme promoting products from the agri-food sector in the markets of Japan and South Korea, while at the same time we are implementing a specific plan to raise the profile of Greek wine in these two particularly demanding markets. These efforts have begun to bear fruit. The first agreements have already been made and our exports are on the rise. We are continuing our systematic work with patience and persistence in 2017 as well, through targeted actions. We support the effort to create a strong brand name for quality Greek products, believing that they will increasingly find their place in the international environment and gain ground in new and existing markets.”

In Tokyo, the delegation’s first stop, the Greek companies held 120 business meetings on 28 and 29 November. The 32 Japanese companies taking part showed their interest in Greek food products, which, according to Japanese figures, are constantly improving their position in the highly demanding Japanese market.

Dionysios Protopappas, Head of the Commercial Office in Tokyo, who prepared and coordinated the meetings on the Japanese side, said: “The delegation was a success because it showed the Japanese that Greece is approaching their market in a well-planned and consistent manner. This mission was a follow-up of the delegation of Japanese companies to Greece last June, and it will also be continued. The Japanese market is highly demanding and is not easy to break into. Through targeted actions both for food and for wine, we have already attracted the interest of importers who have found Greek companies offering high quality products at competitive prices. Greek exports have increased in these categories, rewarding our efforts.”

In Seoul, the meetings were prepared by the Commercial Office of the Greek Embassy in Seoul, headed by Athanasios Karapetsas. Mr Karapetsas stated: “The delegation of 21 Greek food companies organised by Enterprise Greece in South Korea on 1 and 2 December 2016, in partnership with the Commercial Office in Seoul is another successful action in the broader programme to bring our products to the Korean market. There were 170 business meetings with selected Korean importers, which led to significant commercial agreements. This action must be continued, both at the level of the bodies supporting our exporters and at the level of the businesses themselves.”

In South Korea, the Chairman of Enterprise Greece, Christos Staikos, signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Chairman of the country’s Importers’ Association, Myoung-Jin Shin, to promote trade relations between the two countries. This will be a springboard for the development of bilateral business agreements leading to the promotion and penetration of Greek products and services in new markets in the sectors of food, building materials and marine equipment.