JAPOLAC Participates in the Japan–LAC Business Forum 2026
On August 24, 2026, Dr. Ritter Diaz, Representative Director of the Japan Association for the Promotion of Latin America and the Caribbean (JAPOLAC), participated in the Japan–Latin America and the Caribbean Business Forum 2026, held at the Akasaka Intercity Conference Center in Tokyo.
The forum was jointly organized by Japan’s Ministry of Finance and the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Japan’s membership in the IDB Group. It brought together government officials, business leaders, investors, financial institutions, and investment-promotion agencies from Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean to explore new opportunities for trade, investment, and economic cooperation.
The event was opened by Ms. Satsuki Katayama, Minister of Finance of Japan, and Mr. Ilan Goldfajn, President of the IDB Group. More than 1,000 participants and over 400 companies from 24 countries registered for the forum, demonstrating the growing interest in strengthening economic relations between Japan and the region.
The discussions focused on seven strategic areas: energy security and critical minerals, disaster-risk management, the silver economy, venture capital and innovation, digital transformation, agribusiness and food systems, and the integration of trade and investment.
One of the forum’s principal outcomes was the announcement of a major cooperation package between Japan and the IDB Group. The package expands Japanese resources available through cooperation mechanisms with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to US$6.5 billion. These resources are expected to mobilize approximately US$7.5 billion in additional cofinancing, potentially generating a total of US$14 billion for development and private-sector projects in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The package also establishes the US$30 million Japan Resilience Initiative (JRI), which will provide non-reimbursable resources to support project preparation and implementation in priority areas such as critical minerals, quality infrastructure, agriculture, health, disaster resilience, and the silver economy.
Additional agreements include a new risk-transfer mechanism using loan insurance provided by Nippon Export and Investment Insurance (NEXI); the renewal of cooperation between the IDB Group and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC); and new initiatives involving health and long-term care, digital health, resilient infrastructure, transport, housing, water, and sanitation.
The second day of the forum focused on translating high-level discussions into practical business opportunities. Business-matching sessions connected Japanese companies and investors with private-sector enterprises and investment-promotion agencies from 21 IDB member countries. Approximately 660 individual meetings were held, representing the largest business-matching activity organized by the IDB Group in Japan to date.
The forum also included practical seminars on public-private partnerships, digital government, and procurement opportunities associated with IDB-financed projects through the BID for the Americas programme. These sessions introduced opportunities in areas such as innovation, trade, transportation, energy, and infrastructure.
During the event, the IDB Group presented a new report entitled Building on Fifty Years of Japan-IDB Partnership: Unlocking Complementarities for Economic Growth. The report noted that trade between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean increased from approximately US$7 billion in 1976 to US$65 billion in 2025. It also highlighted the region’s growing strategic importance to Japan amid changes in global supply chains and increasing international demand for energy, critical minerals, food, and resilient infrastructure.
Dr. Diaz thanked Mr. Taro Seriu, Representative of the IDB Office in Asia, for the kind invitation and congratulated the IDB team on the excellent organization of the event. He welcomed the forum as an important platform for transforming the longstanding relationship between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean into concrete opportunities for trade, investment, and sustainable development. He also emphasized the importance of connecting Japanese companies—particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)—with reliable partners and viable projects throughout the region.
On behalf of JAPOLAC, Dr. Diaz reaffirmed the Association’s commitment to facilitating practical cooperation between Japan and Latin America and the Caribbean. This includes promoting business opportunities for SMEs, encouraging academic and institutional exchanges, and assisting Latin American and Caribbean embassies and companies in developing stronger connections with Japanese partners.
