Japan's Postal Services Agency eager to tie up with Western firms

Japan’s Postal Services Agency chief Hiroshi Matsui on Friday expressed the agency’s eagerness to tie up with U.S. and European firms in the field of international express delivery services.

Some Western firms have made tie-up approaches to the agency, and information and opinions are now being exchanged, although nothing specific has been decided yet, Matsui said.

The Japanese agency currently offers express delivery services for documents and articles for 117 countries and regions.

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Postal entities in Europe seek tieup on express mail

Deutsche Post and other European postal firms have asked Japan’s Postal Services Agency to conclude tieup arrangements on express mail delivery services, the head of the agency said Friday.
“We have received requests from respective postal companies, although we have not yet determined which postal company the agency will consent to tie up with,” said Hiroshi Matsui, director general of the agency.

The agency is preparing to hand over control of the postal services to a public corporation in spring.

EMS refers to a rapid parcel delivery service the agency provides in collaboration with governmental postal agencies in various foreign countries. EMS parcels usually arrive within three days.

The Asahi Shimbun reported in its Friday morning edition that Europe’s four largest postal firms have approached the agency about collaborating with the planned public corporation on EMS and other postal services.

The four are La Poste of France, Consignia of Britain, TPG of the Netherlands and Deutsche Post.

The four believe the planned transformation of Japan’s Postal Services Agency into the public postal corporation will clear the way for tieups with them, the daily said.

Each of the four wants to conclude an exclusive agreement with the postal corporation to provide parcel delivery services covering all of Europe, the daily said.

The Japan Times: June 15, 2002