September 1, 2011
JAMA Requests to Japan's New Prime Minister
Toshiyuki Shiga, Chairman, Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association, Inc.
Japan currently faces a host of urgent, core issues including post-earthquake and tsunami recovery and reconstruction, resolution of the nuclear crisis, halting yen appreciation, and ensuring a steady electrical supply nationwide.
The Japanese automobile industry looks forward to effective leadership from incoming Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda in achieving cooperation between the ruling and opposition parties in order to expedite the process of resolving the problems the country is facing, revive Japan’s economy, and restore stability in the lives of its citizens at an early date.
Paramount among our industry’s immediate concerns are the yen’s excessive appreciation and the resulting impact on auto manufacturing in Japan. The extraordinarily high value of the yen has created an uneven international playing field which very seriously affects production activity here, raising the risk of nothing less than the hollowing out of the industry.
With that prospect all too close at hand, we request that the new administration not only address the rising yen, move forward with the conclusion of economic partnership agreements and secure a stable electrical power supply, but also take the measures needed to improve the environment for automobile use in Japan, including auto-related tax reform, so as to provide fresh stimulus to the domestic vehicle market.
