Japan’s exported services grew in value by 24.9% since 2013 and expanded 6.2% from 2016 to 2017.
Japan’s Export Services by Category
Below are services exported by Japan in 2017 listed by category and in order starting with highest dollar values. Eleven of these categories are considered commercial services and are worth 97.4% of all exported services furnished from Japan. Government goods and services account for the remainder.
- Intellectual property use: US$41.7 billion (22.6% of Japan’s total)
- Miscellaneous business services: $40.5 billion (21.9%)
- Transport services: $34 billion (18.4%)
- Travel services: $33.9 billion (18.4%)
- Construction services: $10.4 billion (5.7%)
- Financial services: $10.4 billion (5.6%)
- Government goods, services: $4.8 billion (2.6%)
- Telecom/computer/information services: $4.7 billion (2.5%)
- Insurance/pension services: $1.9 billion (1.1%)
- Personal/cultural/recreational services: $1 billion (0.6%)
- Maintenance/repair services: $901.2 million (0.5%)
- Manufacturing services on other’s inputs: $493.6 million (0.3%)
Among the above categories, insurance and pension services posted the strongest gain from 2013 to 2017 via a 1,065% improvement.
Three other categories generated triple-digit increases namely Japan’s provision of personal, cultural or recreational services (up 556.4%), financial services (up 127.3%) and travel services (up 124.7%).
There were two decliners over the 5-year period: transport services (down -14%) and miscellaneous business services (down -3.3%).
Japan’s Export Services by Top Trade Partners
Back in 2016, Japan provided export services to 32 geographic entities including countries, islands or territories. The largest of these trading partners was the European Union, which consumed 17.3% of Japan’s overall exported services for the year.
The following list highlights 20 countries (or territories) that imported the highest value of services furnished by the Land of the Rising Sun. Together, these 20 trading partners received 86.3% of Japanese services provided to international clients.
- United States: 25.5% of Japan’s exported services
- China: 12%
- United Kingdom: 7%
- Singapore: 6%
- Taiwan: 4.6%
- South Korea: 4.3%
- Hong Kong: 4.3%
- Thailand: 3.9%
- Germany: 2.7%
- Switzerland: 2.1%
- Malaysia: 1.9%
- Indonesia: 1.8%
- Netherlands: 1.61%
- France: 1.59%
- Australia: 1.5%
- Vietnam: 1.4%
- India: 1.3%
- Canada: 1.02%
- United Arab Emirates: 0.95%
- Mexico: 0.8%
Thirteen of these top trading partners boosted their purchases of Japanese export services from 2014 to 2016 led by the United Arab Emirates thanks to its 55.5% increase. Also boosting its consumption of services from Japan at a double-digit pace were the United Kingdom (up 38.5%), Vietnam (up 32.6%), China (up 26.9%), France (up 23.3%), Switzerland (up 21.9%), Hong Kong (up 20.8%) and India (up 10.6%).
The most aggressive cutbacks over the three-year period belong to Malaysia (down -21.1%), Thailand (down -12.3%), Australia (down -9.2%), Taiwan (down -7.2%) and Indonesia (down -3.4%).
See also World’s Top Export Services, World’s Top Exports Report Card for Products and Countries and Report Card for Trade Surpluses and Deficits by Country
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on March 1, 2019
International Trade Centre, Trade Map, International Market Analysis. Accessed on March 1, 2019
The World Factbook, Field Listing: Exports, Central Intelligence Agency. Accessed on March 1, 2019