First Session of the Study Group on Advancing Global Supply Chains in the Digital Age Held

In order for Japan to develop sustainably while economic activities become more globalized, investing in growth markets overseas is essential, and further deepening economic relations with Asian countries with large market potential is an important policy issue.

As economic relations between Japan and Asian countries exist in the form of cross-border supply chains, it is now necessary to take measures not only within Japan but also involving business partners across Asia to address major challenges, namely improving supply chain resiliency and addressing the non-financial value of issues such as human rights and decarbonization.

In recent years, digital supply chain visualization and data linkage—including upstream—through digital technology have been the focus of attention as solutions to these various supply chain issues. In Europe, there are initiatives being developed to enable data sharing among companies throughout the region, and they are being considered with the aim of improving supply chain resiliency.

Therefore, this study group was established and the first session was held today in order to consider how data should be linked throughout Asia through cooperation between the public and private sectors, and to progress efforts while focusing on data linkage in supply chains as an approach that will contribute to achieving the goals of (1) deepening economic relations between Japan and Asian countries and (2) improving supply chain resiliency.

Related materials

List of members
Secretariat explanatory materials
Related reference materials
FY2021 International Economic Survey on Internal and External Economic Growth Strategy Development (Survey on the Visualization of the Global Supply Chain)

Division in Charge

Southwest Asia / Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (SCRI) Office, Trade Policy Bureau