TOKYO, April 24 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government said Monday it will limit foreign investment in nine more sectors deemed critical to national security, including semiconductors and storage batteries, starting on May 24, local media reported.
The other sectors to be added to Japan's list of core areas in which foreign investment is limited include machinery and industrial robots, fertilizers, permanent magnets, metal 3-D printers and marine equipment, Kyodo News reported.
Under a law on foreign transactions, foreign investors purchasing a 1 percent or more stake in a Japanese company will be subject to government prescreening if the target company is included in any of the designated core sectors.
The addition means all designated critical materials will now be covered and foreign ownership of firms dealing with such products will be subject to government scrutiny, Kyodo News said. ■
