Berkshire may boost holdings in Japan’s trading houses- Bloomberg

Berkshire Hathaway, the investment conglomerate led by CEO Greg Abel, is contemplating expanding its shares in Japan's leading trading corporations, according to a Bloomberg report on Thursday. This potential move was suggested by Itochu Chairperson Masahiro Okafuji, who is also the head of the Japan Foreign Trade Council. Okafuji disclosed during a conversation with Bloomberg that after a meeting with Abel in September, the hedge fund may maintain or even increase its stakes in these major trading entities.

In a previous interview with Nikkei earlier this month, Abel had indicated that Berkshire intended to augment its investments in the five major trading houses, known collectively as the sogo shosha, which include Mitsubishi Corp., Sumitomo Corp., Mitsui & Co., Marubeni Corp., and Itochu Corp. As of the end of 2025, Berkshire's ownership of these five companies ranged from 9% to 11%, amounting to a combined value of $35 billion.

Mitsubishi Corp. constituted the largest portion of this investment, with Berkshire holding a 10.8% stake, valued at $9.2 billion. This interest in Japan's trading houses was initiated by Warren Buffett in 2019, who at the time commended the group's diverse business operations and appealing market prices.