Country intelligence · JPN · 2024

Japan trade profile

In 2024, Japan recorded $740.4B in merchandise exports and $691.8B in imports, producing a $48.6B trade surplus. Exports changed -1.1% from the previous year, while imports changed -5.0%.^[1]

Exports

$740.4B

-1.1%

Imports

$691.8B

-5.0%

Trade balance

$48.6B

surplus

Active partners

270

48 FTA-linked

Historical evidence

Ten-year trade movement

The bars compare exports and imports on the same scale. The accompanying table preserves the exact values so the trend is usable without interpreting a graphic.

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

ExportsImports

Exact annual values

Year	Exports	Imports	Balance	Export growth
2024	$740.4B	$691.8B	$48.6B	-1.1%
2023	$748.4B	$728.0B	$20.4B	-4.2%
2022	$780.9B	$841.2B	-$60.3B	+0.1%
2021	$780.0B	$730.4B	$49.6B	+17.7%
2020	$662.8B	$598.6B	$64.2B	-9.4%
2019	$731.9B	$686.2B	$45.7B	-3.9%
2018	$761.3B	$698.4B	$62.9B	+5.6%
2017	$721.2B	$634.4B	$86.8B	+8.0%
2016	$667.7B	$577.7B	$90.0B	+2.7%
2015	$650.0B	$609.8B	$40.2B	-9.0%

Leading export sectors

HS2 chapters rank broad product groups by observed export value in 2024.

HS 87 · Vehicles

87 active HS6 lines · 195 export partners

$160.3B

HS 84 · Machinery

515 active HS6 lines · 197 export partners

$140.8B

HS 85 · Electrical machinery

262 active HS6 lines · 193 export partners

$131.6B

HS 90 · HS chapter

142 active HS6 lines · 193 export partners

$41.5B

HS 72 · HS chapter

167 active HS6 lines · 145 export partners

$28.5B

HS 39 · HS chapter

129 active HS6 lines · 186 export partners

$27.2B

HS 71 · Precious metals and stones

51 active HS6 lines · 127 export partners

$26.0B

HS 38 · HS chapter

88 active HS6 lines · 188 export partners

$15.6B

Leading export markets

Destinations rank bilateral export flows from Japan; growth describes each corridor rather than the whole economy.

China

Annual change -1.8% · 3-year CAGR -8.6%

$143.0B

United States

Annual change -0.9% · 3-year CAGR 2.2%

$139.7B

South Korea

Annual change -0.5% · 3-year CAGR -4.3%

$47.0B

Taiwan

Annual change +4.8% · 3-year CAGR -6.1%

$45.5B

Thailand

Annual change -8.3% · 3-year CAGR -6.9%

$27.1B

Hong Kong

Annual change +16.9% · 3-year CAGR 6.2%

$23.5B

Vietnam

Annual change +7.4% · 3-year CAGR -0.3%

$20.6B

Singapore

Annual change +5.6% · 3-year CAGR 0.2%

$20.4B

Sources, definitions and limitations

[1] Primary trade source

OECD Bilateral International Merchandise Trade Statistics, harmonised by Yugalinks at country-year, HS2 and bilateral-corridor levels. Coverage shown here is 1995–2024 where observations are available.

Calculation notes

USD values are aggregated from reported merchandise records. YoY compares consecutive annual totals; three-year CAGR is the mart-provided compound annual growth rate. Missing values are not inferred.

Data sources Methodology Open country workspace