外資規制、医療製品も　海外勢の買収阻止―新型コロナ

　政府が新型コロナウイルスの感染拡大を受け、医療製品メーカーの外資規制を強化する方針を固めたことが２２日、明らかになった。人工呼吸器などの高度医療機器を７月にも、改正外為法に基づく安全保障上の重要産業分野に追加する。各国が医療製品・医薬品の囲い込みを進めており、高度機器を製造できる国内メーカーが中国勢などに買収される事態を阻止し、国内の安定供給を図る。
　政府の国家安全保障局（ＮＳＳ）と経済産業省、厚生労働省は、高度医療機器メーカーが外資に買収され、製造・輸出体制を十分に確認できなくなる事態を懸念。５月施行の改正外為法の重点対象に医療分野を加える。
　昨年１１月に成立した改正外為法は、安全保障上重要な日本企業に外国人投資家が出資する際の報告基準を「１０％以上」から原則「１％以上」に厳格化した。原子力、サイバーセキュリティーなど１２産業を特に厳しく事前審査する。ワクチン分野は既に１２産業の対象だが、高度医療機器や医薬品素材は入っていなかった。（2020/04/22-20:37）

The Japanese government plans to strictly limit foreign investment in makers of medical goods and drugs amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, informed sources said Wednesday.
   The government fears that if foreign capitals, particularly Chinese, buy up Japanese manufacturers of ventilators and other advanced medical apparatuses, it will become difficult to sufficiently check domestic production and exports of such products, whose stable supply is indispensable to national security.
   To protect Japanese products from increasing international "enclosure" moves targeting medical and pharmaceutical supplies, the government will add as early as July the medical sector to the list of industries with great security significance under the revised foreign exchange and foreign trade control law, set to go into force in May.
   The amended law, enacted last November, requires companies in industries deemed important for security to report in advance investment deals with foreigners and have the deals examined by authorities, if planned foreign stakes reach one pct. Before the law amendment, they did not have to report below-10 pct acquisition deals.
   Foreign investments in companies in 12 particularly important sectors, including nuclear energy and cybersecurity, have to go through especially rigorous advance checks.