Cooperative Trade Study of China, Japan and Korea

Abstract

This paper discusses the research supported by ICA Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific which planned to carry special study on current situation and prospects o f international cooperative trade in Far East Asia, Korea,Japan and China. Comparative study on three countries is more feasible and more efficient when cooperatives are identical or similar in terms o f their type o f business than when they are not. In this regard, this study was made on agricultural cooperatives o f three countries, the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives (ACFSMC), the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations (Zen-noh), and the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF). The three cooperatives are the most prosperous in business, the most well-organized, and faithful to member farmers benefits among agricultural cooperatives in the three countries. In chapter 2 of this paper, we will glance over three cooperative profiles. And we will look at the business sectors o f which the three cooperatives have in common, and what kinds o f transactions are possible through cooperative trade. We expect to find possible fields in which the cooperatives o f the three countries can develop trade. Then, in chapter 3, we will look at subsidiaries o f each cooperative to fmd what business fields and products the three agricultural cooperatives are trading already. In chapter 4, we will look at the environment surrounding cooperatives and ways towards sustainable development of the cooperatives in the global economy, mainly focusing on trends in digital information and networking. Furthermore, we will discuss how trade among cooperatives should be oriented in global economy.