Some say that Japan now may look to increase their projects in Canada to gain a stronger foothold in North America. Yet according to an article posted in Business in Vancouver on April 24, this may not be a realistic outlook. Carlo Dade, director of the Trade & Investment Centre at the Canada West Foundation, said that Japan prioritizes the successful execution of project timelines and delivery of products on time. The recent nationwide blockades of key economic infrastructure in Canada delayed agricultural goods from arriving in Japanese stores, and left an impression. 

“Will we get more looks? Not really,” Dade said. Andreas Schotter, associate professor of international business at the University of Western Ontario’s Ivey Business School, is unsure Tokyo is serious about fully shifting its production from China. “I would not regard it as a shift away, but a rebalancing … China will remain a strong base.” Schotter added that most of the “re-shoring” will probably end up in Japan itself.