Aug. 09, 2012
Key points:

1. High growth potential among emerging countries, in spite of the slowing world economy

2. World trade hits a record high but then rapidly decreases in 2012, while the trade structure of emerging countries changes

3. Global flows of FDI increase for the second consecutive year, but projected to slow down in 2012 due to poor M&A performance

4. Japan sees robust exports of highly functional consumer products and a surge in imports of LNG and disaster-related goods

5. Japanese outward FDI shows a clear preference for emerging economies

6. Importance of WTO’s multilateral trade frameworks reaffirmed

7. Japanese SMEs engaged in exports have more room to consider using FTAs

8. SMEs are accelerating overseas business development

9. Leading medium-sized firms and SMEs of the service sector kick into high gear in launching overseas expansion centering on Asia

10. SMEs are increasingly making greater efforts to secure and foster global human resources to shoulder a role in expanding overseas