Press Conference:
End Japan's Travel Ban on Non-Residents
Michael Mroczek
Chairman of the European Business Council in Japan
Christopher J. LaFleur
Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan
Wednesday, July 22, 2020, 13:00 - 14:00
(The speech and Q & A will be in English. )
*Christopher J. LaFleur, Chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan will join online.
Japan's government says its coronavirus entry restrictions on foreign nationals from over 110 nations are needed to keep the country safe. But these measures have proved deeply unpopular with the foreign business community. In June, Michael Mroczek, president of the European Business Council (EBC) in Japan, warned that the travel ban will have a lasting negative impact on businesses in Europe and Japan.
A fresh EBC survey of nearly 400 European firms in Japan claims that 85 percent of these companies have been negatively impacted by the ban. The Council says the restrictions run counter to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and may trigger investment disputes against Japan based on treaties such as the Swiss-Japan Free Trade Agreement and the Energy Charter Treaty.
The EBC is lobbying Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) for the ban to be lifted or modified by, for example, excluding European business travelers and permanent residents from its purview. Unless MOFA reverses course, European businesses in Japan may start moving their offices abroad, says Mroczek. He has agreed to return to the FCCJ to explain his renewed concerns.
Mroczek will be joined ONLINE by Christopher LaFleur, chairman of the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan (ACCJ), which has also demanded equal treatment of Americans and other non-Japanese residents.
How to attend:
Please register at front@fccj.or.jp with your name, name of media outlet, FCCJ membership number. Due to space restrictions, please note there will be a limited number of reservations to attend. Doors open at 12:30. Please sign in your name and contact details at the reception with your own pen and to have your temperature taken before proceeding.
How to watch online: https://vimeo.com/440181411
Livestreaming of the press events will be available and video of this event will be uploaded to our FCCJ YouTube channel.
How to ask questions: https://forms.gle/nmfbmwA9yYjLtAEy6
Members watching the event online can submit questions for the speakers in advance using this submission form (English only).
TV crew: Please make a reservation at front@fccj.or.jp. Door open for TV crews only at 12:15. There will be five positions available for livestreaming.
Michael Mroczek & Christopher J, Lafleur
Professional Activities Committee