In 2023, Japan corporations bought over 200 companies in US for $36bn
In 2023, large Japanese corporations spent about $36bn to acquire companies in the United States – 30 percent more than in 2022, already causing political problems. A total of 222 American companies of various sizes were acquired, TASS reports.
Statistics provided by Tokyo-based advisory centre Recof – specialising in mergers and acquisitions – show the dynamics of the market.
One of the most significant events in this area was the announcement by the Japanese metallurgical giant Nippon Steel in December 2023 of its intention to buy the US Steel for $14.1bn. Moreover, the Japanese side expressed its readiness to repay the debt of the American company worth about $742m. Last year, large acquisitions of this kind were also made in the United States by the manufacturer of ready-made houses Sekisui House and the cosmetics giant Shiseido.
The contraction of the domestic market – caused by the aging and shrinking population – is encouraging Japanese corporations to take their investments outside the country. However, such activity is already causing opposition in the US. The United Steelworkers (USW) union strongly opposed the US Steel takeover, while former President Donald Trump promised to cancel this deal if he returned to the post of head of state.
