## I mplementing Comprehensive and Integrated Logistics Policies

In June 2013, the Framework for General Measures for Logistics (2013-2017) was approved at a Cabinet meeting to offer a quick, precise solution to the prevailing conditions of logistics, such as deepening global supply chains, growing urges to combat global warming and assuring safety and security. Pursuant to this framework, the implementation of logistics Measures has been driven in a comprehensive, integrated manner in a public-private partnership.

## I mplementing Logistic Policies to Correspond with Deepening Global Supply Chains

To keep up with deepening global supply chains, efforts directed at reinforcing Japan’s international logistic facilities are under way, including driving overseas deployment of the nation’s logistic systems.

## (1) Promoting overseas deployment of Japan’s logistics systems

As supply chains continue to get globalized at a deeper level than ever, grabbing the evolving Asian markets would be essential to sustaining and enhancing the international competitiveness of Japan’s industries. The formation of a sophisticated international logistics system should be of prerequisite importance to meet this urge. Capturing the Asian markets has become an urgent task for Japanese logistics companies that support the business expansion of the nation’s industries in Asia.

While the urge for Japanese logistics companies to expand into global markets mounts, certain problems need to be resolved, including institutional constraints placed in the partner countries, before high-quality logistics systems can be deployed in the Asian nations. The MLIT seeks to refurbish the environment to encourage overseas deployment, etc. of Japan’s logistics systems in a government-private partnership, through the implementation of Asian logistic pilot businesses, policy dialogs at a governmental level, logistics personnel fostering businesses and so on.

## (2) Strengthening the functioning of the international marine transportation network

As the globalization of economy progresses, the volume of international marine transportation continues to grow year to year. From the perspective of optimizing marine transportation through large bundle shipments, container carriers and bulkers continue to grow in size. In the meantime, key Asian ports have successfully increased their volumes of freight handling, resulting in concentrated ports of call, international key sea routes making fewer calls at Japan. Further, slow responses to larger vessels to carry bulk cargo raise concerns over diminishing competitiveness in domestic industries forced into a mutually disadvantageous business environment.

In light of such conditions, Japan carries on its effort to streamline the flow of logistics that supports economic activity in Japan and life of citizens, improving the shipping entities at their location at home, which would in turn augment Japan's industrial competitiveness and realize economic reconstruction by maintaining and expanding the calls of international key routes at Japanese ports and simplifying and stabilizing imports of lifeblood materials, such as resources and energies.

In parallel with these approaches, efforts to shape an efficient network of marine transportation in which international and domestic transport services are integrated will be carried on, and relevant measures will be enhanced and developed at a deeper level of refinement.

### a. Enhancing the facilities of strategic international container ports

To strengthen Japanese industrial competitiveness and to maintain and create citizens' employment, the key international routes of marine container transportation that link Japan to North America, Europe and else need to be consistently maintained and even expanded.

To address this need, Hanshin Port and Keihin Port were selected to be an international container strategic port each in August 2010 to implement a fully package of structural and non-structural measures, including the construction of deepwater quays and efficient port management. Under the circumstances where ports of call for international backbone