Berkshire Hathaway, through its fully owned subsidiary National Indemnity Company, has increased its ownership in Japan's Mitsubishi Corporation and Mitsui & Co. The exact percentage increase for Mitsui was not disclosed, but the move reflects Berkshire's continued investment in these major Japanese trading firms.
This action is part of a broader strategy initiated, where Berkshire Hathaway began investing in five prominent Japanese trading houses: Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Marubeni, Itochu, and Sumitomo. In March 2025, Berkshire raised its stakes in these companies, with Mitsubishi's stake increasing from 9.74% to 10.23%.
The investor told shareholders in his annual letter in February that Berkshire had received the Japanese companies' blessing to increase its stake beyond 9.9%, and that Berkshire's shareholders would likely see the ownership of all five Japanese companies increase somewhat over time.
Mitsubishi said in July that it planned to acquire Norway-based Grieg Seafood's salmon farming operations in northern Norway and Canada for nearly USD 1 billion, as part of efforts to strengthen its aquaculture business.
Berkshire Hathaway in March stated it raised its stake in Mitsubishi to 9.7% from 8.3% previously. Like its peers, Mitsubishi owns or helps run a number of businesses in Japan as well as abroad.
Mitsubishi said it had decided not to proceed with certain Japan offshore wind power projects, citing significant changes in the business environment that led to higher costs, on Wednesday.