G7 CCIs meeting in Osaka ahead of Expo Osaka Kansai 2025

Mr. Shingo Torii, President of the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry opened the day’s discussions, accompanied by 10 representatives from the Osaka CCI.

All the chambers of commerce of the G7 countries took part in the discussions:

The ACCJ (American Chamber of Commerce) was represented by its President, Mr.Victor Osumi, Managing Director and President Japan of Delta Air Lines, its Vice-President Kansai Mr. Jiro Kawakami, Chief Of Staff at MGM Resorts Japan LLC, as well as its Governor of Kansai, Ms. Simone Thomsen, President of Eli Lilly Japan K. K.

The AHK (German CCI) was represented by its CEO, Mr. Marcus Schürmann, and Ms. Ying Chen, President and Representative Director of Bayer Yakuhin Ltd.

The BCCJ (British CC) was represented by its President, Mr. Richard Lyle (VP Trade & FDI, Intralink), and its Executive Director Sarah Backley.

The CCCJ (Canadian CC) was represented by its President Mr. Marc Bolduc (Country Director, Intralox Japan), and its Executive Director Ms. Noriko Ishida.

The CCIFJ was represented by Benoit Rulleau, Director of the French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Japan, and Co-CEO of Kansai Airports, and by Mr. Nicolas Bonnardel, General Manager of the CCIFJ.

The EBC (European Business Council) was represented by its Executive Director (COO), Valérie Moschetti.

The general theme of the World Expo is "Designing Future Society for our Lives," and its holding in Osaka is already having an impact on the city and on relations between G7 members.

Indeed, during the roundtable, participants agreed to strengthen cooperation among chambers of commerce and to use the Expo as an opportunity to deepen their regional trade exchanges and activities. For this purpose, private visits for business delegations from the various countries are being considered.

In addition to the organization of the event itself, this morning's session was also intended to raise the question of the Expo's legacy beyond the year 2025, in particular its contribution to the city of Osaka, its businesses and, more broadly, the Kansai region.

Representatives of the Osaka Chamber then presented, by committee, the various Expo-related initiatives aimed at increasing the attractiveness or stimulating the activity of the Osaka region during 2025 and beyond.

This morning's discussions have a significant impact on Kansai and Japan as a whole, and their location in Osaka lends a true national importance, underscored by NHK's dedicated article on the G7 Chambers of Commerce meeting.

The representatives of the chambers of commerce and industry then continued their discussions at a more informal reception, attended by representatives of the city and prefecture of Osaka, such as Keiji Okamoto, General Director of the Economic Strategy Department of the City of Osaka. 

The evening was reserved for networking between members and representatives of the various Chambers. This event was organized on the ground mainly by the American and French Chambers - the only Chambers with branches in the region - and coordinated with the support from Tokyo of the British and Canadian Chambers. The discussions began with a presentation of the various representatives of the seven Chambers who honored us with their presence. 

The evening continued with a buffet during which chamber members and representatives were able to exchange ideas, meet new people, and imagine together the Kansai of tomorrow.

The remarkable diversity of the people present that evening helped to introduce new faces and forge previously non-existent links:

This event signals an exciting series of exchanges to come, with 2025 set to be a year full of collaborations between chambers of commerce and countries all around the world!