3 JR group companies to make bidding easier for foreign suppliers

[bikkuri bahn]

Relating to my previous post about the JR Hachinohe Line new rolling stock tender:

 

Three companies of the Japan Railway group have promised to open their equipment procurement markets for firms in the European Union in a rare move during Japan-EU negotiations on an economic partnership agreement, according to sources.

During EPA talks, East Japan Railway Co., Central Japan Railway Co. and West Japan Railway Co. promised to liberalize their railway-related markets for train cars, brakes and other railway equipment manufactured by companies in the EU.

Private companies rarely make such promises during intergovernmental negotiations. In the Japan-EU talks, the railway field is a major point of dispute alongside tariffs on agricultural products.

 

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0001374352

 

Very interesting perspective from a chairman at ECIPE, who is actually quite sympathetic to the Japanese position:

http://www.ecipe.org/media/publication_pdfs/PB03.pdf

*some very good summary of the differences between the JR's and European railway systems also.

Edited June 24, 2014 by bikkuri bahn

[bikkuri bahn]

Additional materials. Good reading.

 

Case study of Knorr-Bremse in Japan.  Note pointed advice given to EU suppliers:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/docs/international_access/eu-japan/terui_en.pdf

 

JR Tokai presentation similar to above, description of foreign railway equipment in use by JR Tokai:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/docs/international_access/eu-japan/yamagushi_en.pdf

 

Index of documents:

http://ec.europa.eu/internal_market/publicprocurement/modernising_rules/international_access/index_en.htm