Latest News

• May 15, 2012 Attractively low tax burden in Switzerland

  

  Tokyo (SCCIJ) - The average tax and social security burden on employment incomes increased in 26 out of 34 OECD countries in 2011, according to the new OECD Taxing Wages publication. Single individual tax payers without children in Switzerland enjoyed a total tax wedge of 21.0 percent. In Japan the rate was 30.8 percent whereas the average for OECD countries was 35.3 percent.

• May 11, 2012 Bern the most livable city for expatriates

  

  Tokyo (SCCIJ) - European expatriates have rated the capital of Switzerland, Bern, together with Copenhagen, as the most livable city in Europe. Of the 49 Asian cities assessed, Hong Kong comes third after Singapore and the Japanese city of Kobe. Asian expatriate managers rank Bern as number 11 among their most preferred working location worldwide. These are some findings of the annual "Location Ratings" study of ECA International which rates the attractiveness of 400 cities for expatriates.

• May 07, 2012 Secrets of patent applications in Japan revealed

  

  Tokyo (SCCIJ) - At the April SCCIJ luncheon, Japanese patent attorney Mr. Felix Einsel, Managing Partner of Sonderhoff & Einsel, explained how companies can achieve an edge over their competitors with a smart filing and enforcement strategy in the area of industrial property rights. In particular, Einsel proposed some simple rules that can provide Western companies a greater competitiveness in the Japanese market.

• April 26, 2012 UCC Holdings buys United Coffee from Switzerland

  

  Tokyo (SCCIJ) - Japanese companies seem to like taking over Swiss firms. The latest example is the Japanese leading coffee producer UCC Holdings. The inventor of canned coffee in Japan has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Geneva-based United Coffee, Europe’s leading independent coffee group, from the private equity fund, CapVest Equity Partners. The buying price will be about 50 billion yen.

• April 25, 2012 Swiss and Japanese firms shine in Forbes ranking

  

  Tokyo (SCCIJ) – Even with many economic problems, the world’s largest companies still thrive, enjoying double-digit growth in sales and earnings last year. Despite their strong currencies, many big Japanese and Swiss firms also expanded their turnover and profits. In the new Forbes ranking Global 2000 companies, Toyota at rank 25 and Nestlé at place 40 are the respective national champions. Other prominent company names from Japan and Switzerland also feature high on the list.