Key facts
- Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel met with leaders of five Japanese trading houses and Tokio Marine Holdings.
- Berkshire is considering increasing its stakes in Mitsubishi Corp., Itochu, Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corp., and Marubeni.
- Berkshire Hathaway now holds over 10% of Itochu's voting rights.
- Berkshire Hathaway is exploring joint investments and M&A opportunities with the trading houses globally.
Berkshire Hathaway CEO Greg Abel met with the leaders of Japan's five largest trading houses and Tokio Marine Holdings in Tokyo this week. During separate meetings, Abel discussed business strategies and potential areas of cooperation, indicating Berkshire's interest in deepening its collaboration with these Japanese firms.
Abel stated that Berkshire Hathaway is considering increasing its stakes in the five trading houses -- Mitsubishi Corp., Itochu, Mitsui & Co., Sumitomo Corp., and Marubeni. The U.S. conglomerate is also looking to pursue more joint investments and mergers and acquisitions with these companies on a global scale.
ITOCHU announced on March 2, 2026, that Berkshire Hathaway, through a subsidiary, now holds over 10% of its voting rights. As of February 27, 2026, Berkshire's shareholding in ITOCHU reached 10.07%, an increase from 9.54% recorded on March 10, 2025. This follows Berkshire's initial investment in the five trading houses announced in March 2025, when it acquired nearly 10% stakes in each.