U.S. Prods Japan to Open Film Market

U.S. trade officials and Eastman Kodak Co. said Japan has made small strides in opening its photographic film market in the six months since the U.S. began monitoring how much access the country gives overseas brands. In its first formal report on the Japanese market, the U.S. said it found improved distribution for non-Japanese film at supermarkets, department stores and convenience stores. Yet the availability of non-Japanese brands “declined slightly” at specialty camera and photography stores, the report said. The U.S. established a committee earlier this year to monitor the Japanese market after the World Trade Organization ruled that Japan didn’t aid Fuji Photo Film Co. in blocking competition. In response to the report, Fuji Photo Film said the Japanese market was open and competitive and urged the United States to stop pursuing the issue. Rochester, N.Y.-based Kodak said it supports U.S. calls for more Japanese government action to open up the market. “Domestic Japanese manufacturers still use threats and exclusionary business practices to control small retailers, and the Japanese government perpetuates an antiquated market structure through over-regulation,” said Christopher Padilla, Kodak’s director of international trade relations.