Herbert Smith Freehills is pleased to present the fifth annual report on Japan-Australia M&A transactions and the prevailing trends driving cross-border investment.

In this report, we review the transactions and partnerships from 2021, key drivers for the future, and our predictions for 2022 and beyond.

Our report reveals a continued growth in the Japan-Australia investment relationship. The highlight of 2021 is the explosion of new energy partnerships (particularly in hydrogen and ammonia) that involve more Japanese and Australian parties working collectively at a project level than ever seen before, to bring together the required technology, financing and logistics supply chain infrastructure to make the new energy economy a reality.

Driven by Japan’s need to ensure secure sources of imported energy in a decarbonising world, the partnerships will have an essential role if Australia is to continue as the main energy supplier to Japan leading up to 2050 and beyond. These new energy partnerships are a distinct third paradigm in the Japan-Australia business relationship and will form the basis of significant new investment over the next 5-10 years.

Click here (Eng) to view the full report, or here for the Japanese edition.