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    Japan
     Apr 7, 2006
Japanese favor Thailand

KUALA LUMPUR - Thailand has emerged as the second most-favored country after China among Japanese companies wanting to expand their international production of both high and low-to-mid end products, says a survey by the Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro).

Tsuneo Tanaka, managing director of the Jetro Kuala Lumpur office, said responses came from 796 Japanese firms with international operations in the manufacturing, trade and wholesale/retail sectors.

They were polled toward the end of last year and comparisons



were made on their responses in 2004.

Tanaka said sentiment among Japanese firms for starting or expanding operations in China improved despite the dip in bilateral relations between China and Japan in April 2005.

A total of 29.5% of the respondents wanted to produce low-to-mid end products in Thailand while another 30% were eyeing the production of high-end products.

The Jetro survey showed that Thailand was also among the top three locations favored by Japanese firms for expanding their sales operations and in research and development.

"All of this suggests that Japanese firms have greater interest in the country as a production base. The results also suggest that firms in auto-related industries are placing more importance on Thailand," the survey said.

The survey also showed improved sentiment among Japanese firms on India and Vietnam as countries to expand their sales operations.

Vietnam is also favored as a low-to-mid end production destination after China and Thailand.

As for Malaysia, there was a marginal increase among Japanese firms wanting to expand their sales and in low-to-mid end production operations but there was a dip in the area of high-end production.

(Asia Pulse/Bernama-Oana)

 

 
 



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