The most valuable Japanese import products also include medicines, coal, copper, and aluminum.
The following list shows on which products Japanese importers spent the most money. Unlike most information currently available on the web, the items below are detailed at the 4-digit tariff code level. This can help entrepreneurs identify more precisely which products in which Japan has strong demand but competitive disadvantages compared with other nations.
For the most recent four-digit HTS code data, please see the link to Japan’s Top 10 Imports article in the See also paragraph above Research Sources below.
Highest Value Japanese Import Products
Below are the 20 highest value import products delivered to Japanese importers in 2017. Shown within brackets is the 4-digit harmonized tariff system code for each item.
- Crude oil: US$63.7 billion (Down -56.3% from 2013 to 2017)
- Petroleum gases: $40.3 billion (Down -51.7%)
- Phone system devices including smartphones: $26.1 billion (Up 0.3%)
- Coal, solid fuels made from coal: $23.1 billion (Down -2.2%)
- Integrated circuits/microassemblies: $19.4 billion (Up 17.8%)
- Computers, optical readers: $14.8 billion (Down -9.9%)
- Medication mixes in dosage: $14.8 billion (Down -0.2%)
- Processed petroleum oils: $12.9 billion (Down -52%)
- Cars: $11.1 billion (Up 4.7%)
- Iron ores, concentrates: $9.7 billion (Down -44.5%)
- Automobile parts/accessories: $8.3 billion (Up 15.9%)
- Copper ores, concentrates: $8 billion (Down -25.1%)
- Insulated wire/cable: $6.8 billion (Up 5.1%)
- Turbo-jets: $6.6 billion (Up 43.6%)
- Blood fractions (including antisera): $6.3 billion (Up 30.5%)
- Electro-medical equip (e.g. xrays): $5.7 billion (Down -2.3%)
- Aluminum (unwrought): $5.7 billion (Up 8.2%)
- Cases, handbags, wallets: $5.2 billion (Down -1.4%)
- Solar power diodes/semi-conductors: $5.2 billion (Down -37.2%)
- Machinery for making semi-conductors: $4.6 billion (Up 138.7%)
Among these product categories, machinery for making semi-conductors posted the greatest increase in Japan’s import purchases, up 138.7% from 2016 to 2017.
In second place were turbo-jets which improved 43.6% year over year.
Japanese imports of blood fractions including antisera also showed a respectable gain in 2017, up 30.5% from 2016.
From the above list, decliners were led by crude oil (down -56.3%) then processed petroleum oils (down -52%), petroleum gases (down -51.7%) followed by iron ores and concentrates (down -44.5%).
See also Japan’s Top Trading Partners, Japan’s Top 10 Imports and Top Japanese Trade Balances
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on February 2, 2018
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Imports and World Population, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on February 2, 2018
Trade Map, International Trade Centre, www.intracen.org/marketanalysis. Accessed on February 2, 2018