The Japan Tariff Association is the sole private body in Japan devoted to the problems relating to tariffs and international trade.
Organized by private sponsors in October 1949, it has at present more than 5,000 members spread throughout the country. Its membership represents practically every branch of industry and finance, including trading companies, manufacturers, banks, warehousing companies, forwarders, customs brokers, airlines, shipping companies and other organizations engaged in trade and commercial activities.
The Association came into being at a time when Japan was beginning its recovery from the devastation of World WarⅡ. Her channels of international commerce had just been reopened and her trade policy and tariff system were not yet established on a well-developed base. At that time there was a crying need to solve a number of problems in this field.
Under these circumstances the Association was founded with the aim of promoting the development of Japan's tariff policy and the proper application of customs and tariff systems, and thereby contributing to the sound development of her economy. These remain our purposes to this day.
The Customs Intellectual Property Information Center(CIPIC), established as a special projects section in 1989, is engaged in the following activities:

1. Collection and submission of information on intellectual property rights,
2. Research and development of information retrieval systems,
3. Studies and research,
4. Dissemination of information to prevent the trade in good that are infringing,
5. Support and assistance to proprietors,
6. Publication of bulletins and books.