With just a little help from my bank: Japanese SMEs’ export decision

Tomohiko Inui, Keiko Ito, Daisuke Miyakawa

While large Japanese firms have already been present internationally for a long time, small firms have found it difficult to overcome the info obstacles connected with entering overseas markets. This column argues that lender banks might help as they not merely provide financial support but also business consulting services utilizing their extensive knowledge obtained through lending transactions. It implies that small and medium firms whose lender banks accumulate more overseas market information will start exporting.