Thirty purely Japanese companies operate in Serbia, more than sixty with importers and distributors

Over 30 purely Japanese companies operate in Serbia at the moment, and there are more than 60 of them if importers and distributors are counted in. They employ more than 4,000 people. In Vojvodina, six companies from Japan operate, providing their contribution to the local economy and community in Senta, Sremski Karlovci, Novi Sad, Ruma and Indjija. Our trade exchange with Japan is around EUR 330 million, whereas the export from Serbia to the market of Japan is around EUR 90 million a year. The chairman of the board of directors of the Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia (JBAS) and the regulatory affairs and communications director at Japan Tobacco International (JTI) for the Western Balkans, Goran Pekez, points out that the expectations are for the exports to exceed EUR 200 million very soon.

He adds that the trend so far has been for around USD 100 million a year to be invested from Japan in Serbia, but that, in the past three years alone, around USD 420 million has been invested directly from Japan in Serbia. Japan’s state officials point out that Serbia has attracted their attention because they see it as the door to Central Europe and that it is one of the reasons why they want to achieve a deeper cooperation and to improve every aspect and economic opportunities.

– The Japanese are interested in investing in Serbia, in the sectors of textile, mechanical, food industries, energy, green technologies and innovative agriculture. After four decades, Serbia’s state business delegation recently visited Japan. In October, a big business delegation is arriving from Japan, headed by their business community, the JETRO organization, so that will be an opportunity to make things concrete. Furthermore, in Serbia, there is an increasing interest of our scientists at faculties, but also at science institutes, to achieve or deepen the cooperation with Japan – points out Pekez.

In Serbia, Japanese companies are viewed as one of the best employers in the local market, Pekez estimates and adds that Japanese investors are contributing to the transfer of technology and the raising of the level of professional work ethics in Serbia. In the Western Balkans, Serbia stands out as the most important partner and a good host to Japan, especially thanks to the traditionally good relations of the two countries. According to Pekez, the position of Serbia as a favorable investment destination for access to the markets of the European Union and Russia, the strong industrial production tradition, as well as the support of the Government of the Republic of Serbia to foreign direct investments have contributed to this. Successful Japanese companies have chosen Serbia as fertile ground for investments and they are present in our market for a long time, and in the past few years, companies such as Toyo Tires, Nidec, Yazaki and Mayekawa have commenced activities here.

Japanska Poslovna Alijansa u Srbiji Beograd

JT International a.d. Senta

JETRO Karachi

Toyo Tire Serbia d.o.o. Inđija

Nidec Electric Motor Serbia d.o.o. Novi Sad

Yazaki d.o.o. Šabac

Mayekawa SRB Smederevo

Japanese Business Alliance in Serbia

JBAS

Japan Tobacco International

JETRO

Toyo Tires

Nidec

Yazaki

Mayekawa

Goran Pekez

operations of Japanese companies in Serbia