Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/11/15
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]> On 13-11-1999 14:41 Nathan Wajsman wrote: > > >You even see this within Europe: you can probably buy a Swiss watch cheaper > >in Belgium than in Switzerland--not because the Swiss are dumping watches > >but because wages, store rents etc. are higher in Switzerland and because > >competition among retailers is not as intense as here. > > Point well taken, Nathan. But it is equally true and a proven fact that > Japan makes it very difficult for foreign companies to sell their goods > in Japan (regulations, paperwork and other measures). The US and European > governments are negotiating on and on with Japan to do something about > this, but not with big success ! While Japan, or any foreign market is difficult for any businesses to enter, the situation certainly is not as xenophobic as how the media or political propaganda portrays. DaimlerChrysler has a significant chunk of the automotive market with its highly popular and successful products. Morgan Stanley (my former employer) and Merrill Lynch trade more stocks on the Tokyo Stock Exchange than the local brokerage firms, and Merrill even bought Yamaichi Securities when it failed a couple of years ago. Major insurance companies are doing very well. Of course governments have not seen success. The most successful business do not rely on politics to get things done. There are many companies, US, Canadian, or European, which just walked into foreign markets, including Japan, and ruled. Japan is not at all alone in defending its domestic market from foreign competition. Name a country which has never practised xenophobic policies. All the whining blaming protectionist policies is merely a scapegoat. Have you seen the sales figure of Leica cameras at Lemon Camera lately?