Welcome Message from the Chairman
Business-to-business connections have always been a source of stability and fostered cooperation in the U.S.-Japan economic relationship. Since its inception, the U.S.-Japan Business Council (USJBC) at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has been the primary U.S.-based business organization focused on actively promoting stronger economic ties between our two countries. Whether your firm has been in Japan for decades, like Western Digital, or is just starting to explore the opportunities Japan offers, we welcome you to join this group of leading U.S. companies that place a high priority on doing business in Japan.
Our core mission is to advance U.S.-Japan business and government collaboration, to identify and expand new opportunities, strengthen industry leadership, and facilitate joint growth across sectors including the digital economy, energy & infrastructure, financial services, healthcare innovation, and travel, tourism, and transportation. We achieve these goals through long-term relationships with Japan’s key business leaders, policymakers, and institutions. When I became Vice Chair of this organization in 2020, I experienced firsthand the Council’s work in bringing clarity and cultivating understanding that supports U.S. business leaders in achieving their policy goals. As Chairman, I believe our bilateral relationship needs more U.S. CEOs and other business leaders who are willing to roll up their sleeves and engage in shaping critical policy issues to create a predictable regulatory environment that empowers businesses. Working with our Japanese colleagues, we can solidify our shared leadership in critical and emerging industries, ensuring that both nations remain at the forefront of innovation.
I look forward to seeing that the USJBC continues to act as a powerful catalyst for U.S. businesses’ growth in Japan. I invite firms of all sizes and sectors to join us and to share your vision, leadership, and international business experience to further the Council’s mission, and expand two-way American business trade and investment with Japan.
David Goeckeler is Chief Executive Officer of Western Digital, and Chair of the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA). He assumed chairmanship of the USJBC on October 11, 2024, following the tenure of former USJBC chairman Mr. Douglas L. Peterson, former CEO of S&P Global.
