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presented commercial and industrial opportunities valued at over US$1.1 billion to business leaders attending the 16th Meeting of the Peruvian-Japanese Business Council (CEPEJA) in Tokyo.
CEPEJA is a high-level forum that brings together top executives from Japanese corporations and their Peruvian counterparts.
Minister Leon showcased a diversified portfolio during her presentation titled "Peru and Japan: Strategic Partners for Sustainable Development in Trade and Investment."
The selection includes agricultural and fishery products, light manufacturing, and new categories with high demand in the Japanese market.
"Peru is now a safe and strategic regional platform for foreign direct investment," the Cabinet member emphasized.
"We have one of the economies with the highest projected growth in Latin America for 2025, the lowest inflation rate in the region, and the second-lowest country risk," Leon stated before Peru's top official, her ministerial delegation, CEPEJA Japan Chairman Tatsuo Yasunaga, and his Peruvian counterpart, Martin Perez.
A solid and strategic relationship
The Cabinet member underscored that Peru has a network of 23 free trade agreements covering 82% of global GDP.
Similarly, Minister Leon noted that the South American country is an active member of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which enhances preferential access for Peruvian products to the Asian market.
"It is important to highlight that Peru and Japan maintain a solid and strategic trade relationship, consolidated through the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA), signed in May 2011 and in force since March 2012," she added.
In 2024, trade between the two countries reached a record high of over US$4.3 billion. Peruvian exports totaled US$3.377 billion, with sustained growth in key sectors such as agroindustry and fisheries.
Among the most in-demand products are coffee, avocados, grapes, shrimp, bananas, trout, fishmeal, and frozen fruit.
The high-ranking official underscored the modernization of the South American country's logistics infrastructure as a competitive advantage for supply chains.
Likewise, Minister Leon emphasized Peru's positioning as a world-class logistics hub in the South Pacific, driven by megaprojects such as the Chancay Port, whose operations have reduced shipping times to Asia by nearly 50%.
She noted that Peru has attracted more than US$111 billion in foreign direct investment over the past two decades and is now positioned as the third-most preferred destination for Asian companies in South America.
Japanese investment in Peru has shown a significant presence in key sectors of the global economy.
Sixty-seven percent has been directed toward the manufacturing sector, with an emphasis on electronic components and glass.
Other strategic sectors include knowledge-intensive services (8%), metals (8%), and renewable energy (5.1%).
Special Economic Zones
In her remarks, Minister Leon also presented the upcoming model for Private Special Economic Zones, currently under approval. These zones will consist of industrial areas managed by the private sector, offering tax benefits, a specialized customs regime, and high international standards.
This is complemented by the recent approval of Peru's new Tourism Law, which establishes Special Tourism Development Zones, designed to attract private investment in sustainable and priority destinations.
"We invite Japanese businesses to continue placing their trust in Peru. We are a reliable, competitive partner with a long-term vision. This visit marks a new chapter in our bilateral relationship," she concluded.