FROM PORTUGAL TRAVELS TO JAPAN

A reference for business with the Japanese market, JITAC once again welcomes a strong delegation FROM PORTUGAL, an example of which is Troficolor Denim Makers. The company decided to increase investment in the event: “We have been working with the Japanese market for approximately eight years and have now decided to be present with our own stand, alongside and with the essential support of our agent”, says Ana Magalhães, export sales manager. “This fair was the anchor that allowed us to grow in this market which, being in the process of economic recovery, has a large margin for growth”, considers Ana Magalhães, remembering that the Japanese market values ​​“quality of product and service”. With a strong focus on more sustainable options, including recycled and organic cotton items, corduroys, and flannels, Troficolor Denim Makers hopes to “increase the volume of orders from regular customers” and “attain potential new customers”, concludes.

With collections developed to “respond to the main players” in the Japanese market, it is with good prospects that Lemar returns to Jitac. “In a context with its own commercial dynamics, we seek to reinforce our brand in Japan with this presence”, explains José António Ferreira from Lemar. With sustainability as the common denominator of all proposals to present in Japan, Lemar admits that, as this is a specific market, the Portuguese company has developed collections that respond to the great product and service quality demands of Japanese businesspeople.

For Fitecom, this edition of JITAC will be decisive for the commercial relations between the Portuguese company and the Japanese market. “It is a market with enormous potential, there is no doubt, but for us, at the moment, orders are not yet offsetting the costs. Therefore, for us, this edition is decisive in understanding whether it is time to abandon the market or, on the other hand, take a step forward”, assumes engineer João Carvalho, CEO of the company. Having participated in JITAC for around five years, Fitecom reveals that it already has several customers in Japan but whose order volume is still small: “We need to increase the volume of orders to justify the investment we are making. Let’s now see if the market is actually recovering and if it brings good surprises for us”.

The participation of Portuguese SMEs in JITAC is an initiative of Selectiva Moda and ATP - Portuguese Textile and Clothing Association, which aims to promote the internationalization of Portuguese companies in the textile sector. This fair is in the From Portugal project, within the scope of the application presented to the Portugal 2030 joint internationalization projects.