Paperless trade enabler essDOCS has opened an office in Tokyo, Japan – its fourth in Asia Pacific and ninth in the world.

The news comes during a period of continued expansion for the Malta-headquartered company.

The Tokyo office will be led by essDOCS’ newly-appointed vice-president for Japan, Akira Sato, who will be supported by senior consultant Naoko Takahashi.

Sato has over 35 years of experience in the non-ferrous metals industry both in Japan and overseas, and has garnered seasoned expertise in physical commodities marketing, trading and LME hedging. Over the past seven years, he has been responsible for marketing copper, lead and zinc concentrates at BHP Billiton, where he was tasked with supporting the company’s objectives during numerous commodity price cycles.

essDOCS CEO, Alexander Goulandris, says that the company’s presence in Japan is aimed at boosting the uptake of CargoDocs in Japanese imports and exports. He adds that opening in Tokyo is the logical next step for essDOCS, as it provides a local presence where a large portion of the world’s leading steel, automotive and electronics manufacturers, as well as major container lines and banks, are based.