Japan2019 Economic Complexity : 2.2, Rank 1 of 146
2019 Product Exports | Imports: $696B | $654B, 4 of 225 | 5 of 225
2019 Per Capita Product Exports | Imports: $5.51k | $5.18k, 68 of 219 | 83 of 219
2019 Service Exports | Imports : $205B | $196B, 1 of 69 | 1 of 69
Overview In 2019 Japan was the number 3 economy in the world in terms of GDP (current US$), the number 4 in total exports, the number 5 in total imports, the number 27 economy in terms of GDP per capita (current US$) and the number 1 most complex economy according to the Economic Complexity Index (ECI).
Exports The top exports of Japan are Cars ($103B), Vehicle Parts ($33.2B), Integrated Circuits ($30.7B), Machinery Having Individual Functions ($20B), and Passenger and Cargo Ships ($13.7B), exporting mostly to United States ($134B), China ($128B), South Korea ($44.9B), Chinese Taipei ($41.6B), and Thailand ($28.9B).
In 2019, Japan was the world's biggest exporter of Machinery Having Individual Functions ($20B), Photo Lab Equipment ($11.9B), Large Construction Vehicles ($10.8B), Hot-Rolled Iron ($7.49B), and Electrical Capacitors ($6.58B)
Imports The top imports of Japan are Crude Petroleum ($64B), Petroleum Gas ($42.3B), Coal Briquettes ($20.7B), Integrated Circuits ($17.1B), and Broadcasting Equipment ($16B), importing mostly from China ($152B), United States ($70.1B), Australia ($41.5B), South Korea ($28.3B), and Saudi Arabia ($24.5B).
In 2019, Japan was the world's biggest importer of Corn ($3.32B), Other Prepared Meat ($3.19B), Fuel Wood ($2.11B), Processed Tobacco ($1.8B), and Nickel Mattes ($1.55B)
Location Japan borders China, North Korea, South Korea, Philippines, and Russia by sea.
June, 2021
Overview In June 2021 Japan exported ¥7.22T and imported ¥6.84T, resulting in a positive trade balance of ¥384B. Between June 2020 and June 2021 the exports of Japan have increased by ¥2.36T (48.5%) from ¥4.86T to ¥7.22T, while imports increased by ¥1.7T (33.2%) from ¥5.14T to ¥6.84T.
Trade In June 2021, the top exports of Japan were Cars (¥917B), Commodities not elsewhere specified (¥499B), Vehicle Parts (¥307B), Machines and apparatus of a kind... (¥279B), and Integrated Circuits (¥276B). In June 2021 the top imports of Japan were Crude Petroleum (¥471B), Petroleum Gas (¥337B), Telephones (¥236B), Integrated Circuits (¥211B), and Iron Ore (¥188B).
Origins In June 2021 the exports of Japan were mainly from Aichi (¥1.48T), Chiba (¥1.22T), Osaka (¥976B), Kanagawa (¥708B), and Hyōgo (¥592B), while imports destinations were mainly Chiba (¥1.62T), Tokyo (¥1.06T), Osaka (¥854B), Kanagawa (¥668B), and Aichi (¥610B).
Destinations In June 2021, Japan exported mostly to China (¥1.59T), United States (¥1.35T), Taiwan (¥507B), South Korea (¥478B), and Hong Kong (¥348B), and imported mostly from China (¥1.64T), United States (¥767B), Australia (¥412B), South Korea (¥297B), and Taiwan (¥292B).
Growth In June 2021, the increase in Japan's year-by-year exports was explained primarily by an increase in exports to United States (¥621B or 85.7%), China (¥344B or 27.7%), and Thailand (¥153B or 98.7%), and product exports increase in Cars (¥460B or 101%), Commodities not elsewhere specified (¥188B or 60.6%), and Vehicle Parts (¥165B or 116%). In June 2021, the increase in Japan's year-by-year imports was explained primarily by an increase in imports from China (¥246B or 17.7%), United States (¥166B or 27.7%), and Australia (¥139B or 50.7%), and product imports increase in Crude Petroleum (¥305B or 183%), Iron Ore (¥127B or 211%), and Refined Petroleum (¥110B or 185%).
EXPORT GROWTH (June 2020 - June 2021): ¥2.36T, (48.5%)
IMPORT GROWTH (June 2020 - June 2021): ¥1.7T, (33.2%)
MAIN EXPORTER (June 2021): Aichi, ¥1.48T
MAIN DESTINATION (June 2021): China, ¥1.59T
This section shows exports and imports data at subnational level for Japan. Click any date in the line plot, any subnational region in the geomap, or any product, destination or origin country to explore the exports or imports behavior of Japan over time.
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Top Export (2019): Cars, $103B
Top Destination (2019): United States, $134B
In 2019, Japan exported a total of $696B, making it the number 4 exporter in the world. During the last five reported years the exports of Japan have changed by $4.98B from $691B in 2014 to $696B in 2019.
The most recent exports are led by Cars ($103B), Vehicle Parts ($33.2B), Integrated Circuits ($30.7B), Machinery Having Individual Functions ($20B), and Passenger and Cargo Ships ($13.7B). The most common destination for the exports of Japan are United States ($134B), China ($128B), South Korea ($44.9B), Chinese Taipei ($41.6B), and Thailand ($28.9B).
Top Import (2019): Crude Petroleum, $64B
Top Origin (2019): China, $152B
In 2019 Japan imported $654B, making it the number 5 trade destination in the world. During the last five reported years the imports of Japan changed by -$91.4B from $746B in 2014 to $654B in 2019.
The most recent imports of Japan are led by Crude Petroleum ($64B), Petroleum Gas ($42.3B), Coal Briquettes ($20.7B), Integrated Circuits ($17.1B), and Broadcasting Equipment ($16B). The most common import partners for Japan are China ($152B), United States ($70.1B), Australia ($41.5B), South Korea ($28.3B), and Saudi Arabia ($24.5B).
Japan Exports Services (2019): $205B
Japan Imports Services (2019): $196B
In 2019, Japan exported $205B worth of services. The top services exported by Japan in 2019 were Royalties and license fees ($46.9B), Other business services ($46.6B), Personal travel ($41.9B), Transportation ($26.2B), and Financial services ($14.3B).
The top services imported by Japan in 2019 were Other business services ($66.7B), Transportation ($34.3B), Royalties and license fees ($26.3B), Computer and information services ($20.7B), and Personal travel ($18B).
The top product import tariffs by their MFN Ad Valorem value for Japan are Bovine edible offal, fresh or chilled (50%) and Bovine edible offal, frozen except livers and tongues (50%).
Click any of the products in the bar chart to see the specific Ad Valorem Duty Rates by partner country.
*The tariffs applied to imports for Japan are:
This section shows exports, imports and economic complexity data at subnational level for Japan. Click any of the Prefecture in the geomap to visit the specific subnational profile.
The top territories of Japan according to its Economic Complexity Index are Aichi (0.98), Shiga (0.97), and Tochigi (0.85).
In 2020, the principal exporters of Japan were Aichi (¥13.4T), Chiba (¥10.9T), and Osaka (¥9.46T).
The same year, the principal importers of Japan were Chiba (¥15.9T), Tokyo (¥11.5T), and Osaka (¥9.25T).
Japan has a high level of specialization in Blown Glass (14.6), Photographic Chemicals (12.1), Watch Movements (11.2), Pianos (9.63), and Pearls (8.28). Specialization is measured using RCA, an index that takes the ratio between Japan observed and expected exports in each product.
The highest complexity exports of Japan according to the product complexity index (PCI) are Photo plate, film, exposed or developed, except cine (2.76), Machining centre, single/multistation transfer machine (2.42), Equipment for photographic laboratories nes (2.25), Chemical element/compound wafers doped for electronics (2.18), and Chemical preparations for photographic use (2.12). PCI measures the knowledge intensity of a product by considering the knowledge intensity of its exporters.
The top export opportunities for Japan according to the relatedness index, are Cermets (0.39), Aircraft Launch Gear (0.39), Rubber Thread (0.39), Bismuth (0.39), and Office Machine Parts (0.38). Relatedness measures the distance between a country's current exports and each product. The barchart show only products that Japan is not specialized in.
The product space is a network connecting products that are likely to be co-exported. The product space can be used to predict future exports, since countries are more likely to start exporting products that are related to current exports. Relatedness measures the distance between a product, and all of the products it is currently specialized in.
The Complexity-Relatedness diagram compares the risk and the strategic value of a country's potential export oppotunities. Relatedness is a predictive of the probability that a country increases its exports in a product. Complexity, is associated with higher levels of income, economic growth, less income inequality, and lower emissions.
During the last 20 years Japan's economy has become relatively más complex, moving from the 1st to the 1st position in the ECI rank.
These economic complexity rankings use 6 digit exports classified according to the HS96 classification. We consider only countries with population of at least 1 million and exports of at least $1 billion, and products with world trade over $500 million. To explore different rankings and vary these parameters visit the custom rankings section.