Opportunity for Swedish value-added food and beverage products and ingredients in Japan
WHAT
Japan offers attractive opportunities for Swedish food and beverage companies, driven by its large, affluent consumer market and structural reliance on food imports, where more than 60% of its food is being imported. As the world’s fourth-largest economy with high purchasing power, Japan depends heavily on overseas suppliers due to constrained domestic agricultural production, creating sustained demand for high-quality imported food and beverage products.
Consumer preferences in Japan are increasingly shifting toward premium, international, and value-added offerings, including products with strong quality, safety, sustainability, and provenance credentials. This trend supports demand for differentiated food and beverage products as well as ingredients for both consumer-facing and B2B applications. Japan’s sophisticated and nationwide retail infrastructure, spanning supermarkets, specialty retailers, and convenience stores, provides broad market access for imported products that meet local quality and regulatory requirements.
Market access conditions have improved significantly through the EU–Japan Economic Partnership Agreement, under which most tariffs on food and beverage products have been eliminated or are being phased out. This has strengthened the competitiveness of European and Swedish exports and lowered barriers to market entry for companies seeking to establish or expand their presence in Japan.
HOW
Japan’s food and beverage import market remains concentrated among a limited number of supplier countries, and Japanese policymakers and industry players are increasingly focused on diversifying supply sources. This creates concrete entry opportunities for new European suppliers, particularly in value-added segments rather than bulk commodities.
Swedish food and beverage exports to Japan have demonstrated strong potential in categories such as finished consumer products, food preparations for B2B use, beverages and spirits, bakery and cereal products, dairy, and protein-based foods. Demand growth in these segments reflects alignment with Japanese consumer trends toward premium quality, functionality, and international brands.
Business Sweden supports Swedish food and beverage companies through the Try Swedish platform, with Japan as a prioritized market. Through Try Swedish Japan, companies can access a dedicated local team, strong national branding, and established networks with importers, distributors, retailers, and food service players.
Activities include business delegations, participation in major trade fairs such as the yearly FOODEX Japan (held in March each year), retail collaboration campaigns, partner identification, and targeted sales acceleration support. To date, these efforts have enabled more than 50 Swedish finished food and beverage products to enter and grow in the Japanese market.
CONTACT US
For more information, contact Daniel Schmitt at daniel.schmitt@business-sweden.se