Mr. Till Scheer

Happy New Year!
At the beginning of 2021, I’d like to wish you the best for the new year.
I hope you had a good and healthy New Year’s Day.

Looking back on last year, due to the spread of corona infections, we faced severe situations in terms of not only our health, but also business and economic activities.
Even now, many people, including those in the automotive industry, are making strenuous efforts to overcome the circumstances.

In 2020, the imported vehicles sales nosedived due to the outbreak and spread of Covid-19, but in June onward, the market continued to recover, thanks to, among others, the measures to prevent infections thoroughly taken by the member importers and their dealers, the relationships with customers built online and the effects of the launches of new models and limited-edition models by the JAIA member companies.

Under these circumstances, JAIA has been contributing to sustained growth of Japan’s motor vehicle market by supporting business activities of the member companies. Also, for the users, we vigorously carried out our activities to request taxation revisions for reduced burdens of auto-related taxes and measures to generate demand for market revitalization, in addition to aggressively taking actions to promote international harmonization of safety, environmental and other regulations in the Japanese market and the vehicle certification systems.

In the new year as well, JAIA will continue energetically supporting the member companies in delivering a broad range of attractive cars and motorcycles of foreign brands to the customers in various parts of the country. And, while keeping in mind the goal of “2050 carbon neutral” announced by the government last October, we will contribute to the development of sustainable mobility in Japan’s society by further collaborating with the government, the ministries and other organizations concerned and other automotive associations.

I would like to ask for your understanding of and continued support for the activities of JAIA in the new year as well, and I’d like to wish all of you a healthy and successful 2021.