September 30, 2026
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Launch of Regional Liaison Meetings for Fair Transactions in the Logistics Sector
Today, I would like to introduce the Regional Liaison Meetings for Fair Transactions in the Logistics Sector, which we have newly launched jointly with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) and the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI).
Under the SME Transactions Act, which came into force in January 2026, transactions in which a shipper commissions a carrier to transport goods to its trading partner—referred to as “specified transport consignments”—were newly added to the scope of the Act. The amendment also gave ministries and agencies with jurisdiction over relevant industries the authority to provide guidance and advice under the SME Transactions Act. In response, the JFTC has been strengthening its cooperation with the MLIT, which has been working to promote proper transactions in the logistics sector.
First, as part of our efforts to strengthen enforcement coordination, last December the JFTC, the MLIT, and the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency established a liaison meeting to share enforcement information, with the aim of enabling seamless enforcement under the SME Transactions Act and the Motor Truck Transportation Business Act.
We have now decided to launch the Regional Liaison Meetings for Proper Transactions in the Logistics Sector to further strengthen enforcement coordination among the three authorities, and enhance nationwide monitoring of violations of the SME Transactions Act and conduct that may cause motor truck carriers to violate the Motor Truck Transportation Business Act.
The Regional Liaison Meetings will bring together the JFTC’s regional offices and other relevant offices, the Regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry of the METI, and the District Transport Bureaus of the MLIT. Participants will exchange views on matters such as enforcement policies under the SME Transactions Act.
As a next step in our enforcement coordination with the MLIT, we plan to take further measures, including conducting joint investigations into business operators suspected of violating the SME Transactions Act. We also intend to make use of these Regional Liaison Meetings in carrying out such initiatives.
Alongside these enforcement coordination efforts, the JFTC will again participate this fiscal year in the “Intensive Monitoring Month,” conducted from October through November by the Truck and Logistics G-Men established by the MLIT. As part of this initiative, the JFTC has participated since last year in “Shipper Patrols,” in which the Truck and Logistics G-Men visit shippers’ offices, logistics facilities, and other sites to raise awareness of logistics-related laws and regulations. This year, the Regional Bureaus of Economy, Trade and Industry of METI and other relevant organizations will also join the initiative for the first time, and Joint Shipper Patrols and related activities will be conducted nationwide.
Prior to the Joint Shipper Patrols, kick-off ceremonies will be held in each regional block. Senior officials from the JFTC will also participate and remind the staff taking part in the patrols once again of the importance of helping stakeholders in the logistics sector deepen their understanding of proper business transactions. The dates of the kick-off ceremonies will vary by region. In the Kanto region, the ceremony will be held on October 7. If you are interested in covering the event, please contact the Senior Fair Transactions Inspector Division I of the Trade Practices Department, who is responsible for enforcement coordination under the SME Transactions Act.
（Tentative translation）
