Chile, known for its copper, fish and more recently its exports of wine, is fast transforming into a leading investment destination and trading hub for Japanese companies because of the country’s growing political stability and economic strength.
Among those Japanese companies is construction machinery maker Komatsu, which opened an office in the Chilean capital Santiago and named the best company for its innovation culture in 2012 by the Chilean Production and Development Organization (CORFO).
Komatsu Cummins Chile, a Japanese-Chilean joint venture, has strongly affirmed its faith in the quality of the country’s workers and its shared work ethic and culture with the Japanese, factors that have allowed the company to flourish.
“Japan has a reputation for innovation and high technology. So, we do the best we can to leverage that. The quality of the Komatsu products is very good and it’s the quality of your service that marks the difference,” Komatsu Cummins Chile President and CEO Jeffrey Dawes said.
Dawes, a former mining engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the industry, stresses that the most important thing that Komatsu offer is its commitment to Chile and the rest of the region.
“The commitment Komatsu has made to Latin America is definitive and permanent. When we move into a country, we don’t just take advantage of the specific time we have,” he said.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary in 2016, Salmones Aysen remains dedicated to bringing Atlantic salmon to the rest of the world, with Japan being the company’s largest export market.
Its products can be found in more that 22 countries around the world, including Japan, Korea, Russia, Taiwan and the United States.
“Japan is a key for us to enter other markets and offer our products. Japanese technicians come to Chile and teach us how to develop our products,” said Salmones Aysen Co-founder Pablo Baraona.
Given the growing ties between Japanese and Chilean companies, Yasuhiro Nakayama, the Official Representative of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in Santiago, is optimistic about the future of trade between the two countries.
But Nakayama he would like to see more opportunities for small to medium-sized Japanese companies in the Chile.
“I’m always promoting Chile. This is a very good place for any headquarters to enter the South American market,” he said.
With Chile boasting around 70 Japanese restaurants, Yasuhiro said there were huge opportunities for the food industry and for exporters to Japan.
He stressed that JETRO plays an important role in promoting Latin America and raising investor interest among Japanese companies.
