Ministry of International Trade and Industry
The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (Japanese通商 产业 省, Tsusho - Sangyo - shō ), commonly abbreviated in an international context with MITI for Ministry of International Trade and Industry, was a Ministry of Japan and is considered a crucial architect behind the economic recovery of Japan in the postwar period. He was replaced by 2001, the current Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Roles and responsibilities
The Japanese Ministry of International Trade and Industry was founded in 1949 from the Association of Commercial Agency and the Ministry of trade and industry. The aim was to curb the postwar inflation and to control the action to restore the industrial productivity and employment. The MITI had primary responsibility for the formulation and implementation of international trade agreements, but always sought consensus with other parties, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Finance. The MITI coordinated in such an environment, the trade policy, the Economic Planning Agency (経 済 企 画 庁, Keizai kikaku -chō ), the Bank of Japan, and the ministries of agriculture, construction, forestry and fisheries, health and social services, post and telecommunications, and transport. With the increase of international trade broadened the base so that the other ministries were given more weight. In addition, the responsibilities of the MITI by the Commission for Fair Trade were (公正 取 引 委员会, Kosei - Torihiki - iinkai ), trimmed the Parliament and the Prime Minister. This had the MITI late 80s less control over the Japanese foreign trade than it was in the 50s and 60s.
In addition to export and import the MITI was also responsible for the companies and areas that were not explicitly covered by other ministries, namely in the areas of plant and equipment, pollution control, energy supply, some aspects of foreign economic aid, and customer complaints. This allowed MITI a balance of interests, about between the pollution control and competitiveness in exports, and so keeping disadvantages for export industries low.
Coordination of " Japan AG "
The MITI served as an architect of industrial policy, as a regulator and as an arbitrator in case of problems and disagreements in the industry. The main focus of the Ministry has been on strengthening the industrial base of the country. To speak of a controlled economy it goes too far, but it has the economy concerned with formal and informal guidance in the areas of technology, modernization, investment in new equipment, and the domestic and international competition.
The close connection between the ministry and business leaders has led to foreign trade policy, which is closely linked in many areas with the efforts to strengthen the domestic economy. The MITI supported the early development of all key industries through the provision of safeguards against import competition, industrial espionage, assistance in licensing foreign technology, access to foreign exchange and assistance in mergers.
This policy of promoting domestic industry and its protection from international competition was strongest in the 50s and 60s. In the 70s, the Japanese industry was competitive in many areas, so that the control of MITI was no longer needed to the same extent. Some of the methods were outdated, so the companies had now even have enough foreign capital.
Foreign criticism and market opening
Partial had the MITI slow the industry even. The Japanese auto industry was on the U.S. market so successful that from the year 1981 by the Japanese side, voluntary import quotas were adopted in order to deflect criticism of the U.S. auto industry and the trade unions.
Also, protectionism had to be reduced, especially under pressure from the World Trade Organisation and the United States. In the 80s, the MITI was involved in market-opening measures and import promotion, it was established an office for import promotion within the Ministry. The close relationship between MITI and industry allowed the ministry to play such a role in the opening up of markets. Remain the conflicting interests between market opening and promoting new and growing domestic industries exist.
The economic crisis of the 90s
A new development was due to the long period of stagnation in the 90s, when many programs the government did not show the desired effect. In particular, reference should, as a foreign company got in the second-largest Japanese automobile manufacturer and successfully rehabilitated methods with "Western" here to the case of Nissan. This will not be without consequences on the rest of the industry.
In 2001, the MITI was folded under the Central Government Reform with the Economic Planning Office and the economic departments of other ministries and METI (English Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, German Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) renamed.