
The overall value of imports into the United States sold by Japan flatlined by an average -1.9% since 2022 when America’s purchases from were valued at $154.4 billion.
In comparison, the US exported $76.2 billion worth of products to Japan in 2023. That dollar amount equals 50.2% of America’s total spending on all commodities imported from Japan.
US exports to Japan retreated by -5.2% compared to $80.3 billion in American export sales to Japan for 2022.
Highlighted below are the 100 most valuable imports and exports exchanged by the United States and Japan during 2023.
This research is based on the detailed four-digit Harmonized Tariff System code level.
Information in this article is presented in two searchable document databases for the top 100 trade products between the two countries.
Top US Imports from Japan
The following document database highlights the 100 most valuable goods that America imported from Japan in 2023.
The showcased 100 import products represent US$130.9 billion in American spending in 2023 or 86.3% of all US spending on imports from Japan for the year.
Imports into the United States from Japan equaled 4.8% of overall US imports from around the world in 2023, up from 4.6% in 2022.
Fastest-growing US imports from Japan from 2022 to 2023 were fork-lift trucks (up 767%), derricks and cranes (up 68.3%), hand-drawn paintings and drawings (up 61.7%), iron or steel tubes and pipes (up 46.3%), electric motor parts (up 42.8%), aircraft or spacecraft parts (up 36.3%), titanium (up 33.3%) then America’s number one import from Japan cars (up 21.9%).
Decliners impacting America’s spending on imported goods from Japan the most were led by Japanese processed petroleum oils (down -46.3% from 2022), tractors (down -44.2%), synthetic rubber (down -38%), temperature-change machines (down -35.4%), chemicals used in electronics (down -32.1%), rubber or plastic item making machines (down -31.5%), lifting or loading machinery (down -30.1%) then phone devices including smartphones (down -30%).
Top US Exports to Japan
The following document database focuses on the 100 leading products that American exporters sold to buyers in Japan in 2023.
The itemized 100 US export products represent US$58 billion in American sales to Japan in 2023 or 76.1% of total US exports into Japan as assessed by value.
Exports from the United States to Japan equaled 3.8% of all US products exported around the world in 2023. That percentage lags the 3.9% for 2022.
The greatest increases among the top 100 US exports into Japan from 2022 to 2023 are attributed to aluminum plates, sheets and strips (up 164.3%), bombs, grenades and other ammunition (up 155.4%), industrial or laboratory furnaces and ovens (up 142.2%), acyclic hydrocarbons (up 117.9%), chemical industry products or residuals (up 102.8%) then aircraft and spacecraft (up 97.8%).
The heaviest declines among America’s sales of exported goods to Japan were recorded for shrinking Japanese spending on precious metal waste or scrap (down -52.9% from 2022), unwrought platinum (down -43.9%), non-dissolving chemical woodpulp (down -42.4%), preserved or prepared miscellaneous meat (down -42.2%), rough wood (down -39%), electronic integrated circuits and microassemblies (down -38.5%), petroleum oil residues (down -35.1%), miscellaneous food preparations (down -35%) then frozen beef (down -33.6%).
See also Japan’s Top Exports, United States Top Exports, Japan’s Top Imports and United States Top Imports
Research Sources:
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Database (GDP based on Purchasing Power Parity). Accessed on December 30, 2024
Trade Map, International Trade Centre. Accessed on December 30, 2024