Country export capability

Japan
export capability

A reported view of Japan's export scale, destination network, sector breadth, trade history, and market-access context. Use the indicators together; no single measure describes export readiness on its own.

JPN1995-2024 coverage270 active partner marketsEconomy and income contracted
Latest exports$740.4B2024 reported value
Latest imports$691.8B2024 reported value
Trade balance$48.6BExports minus imports
Export growth-1.1%Latest year-on-year change
Active partners270Latest reported markets

Country export profile overview

Japan export data in one research view

This profile brings together export performance, trade balance, destination markets, HS2 sectors, partner breadth, history, and market-access context for country export research.

Export scale and balance

Start with the latest reported trade position

In 2024, Japan recorded $740.4B in exports and $691.8B in imports. The resulting $48.6B trade balance gives the latest country-level position a clear context.

Exports changed -1.1% year on year and show a calculated -1.7% three-year CAGR. CAGR is an annualized comparison of reported values, not a forecast.

Markets and sectors

See where export value is concentrated

China received $143.0B in reported exports, representing 19.3% of the latest country total. Vehicles was the largest displayed HS2 export sector at $160.3B and 21.7% of exports.

The visible page highlights five leading destinations and five leading HS2 sectors, while the complete structured files retain every row supplied for this sample.

History and coverage

Read today's number against the long series

The country series covers 1995 through 2024, with 30 observed annual rows. That longer view helps separate a single-year movement from the broader export trend.

Partner counts, tariff context, concentration, exposure shares, and momentum are supporting indicators calculated from available trade observations. Missing values remain unavailable rather than estimated.

Economy and structure

The context around Japan's export base

Macroeconomic and structural indicators add context to merchandise trade scale. They describe the country environment; they do not predict company performance or future exports.

GDP$4.0T2024 macro context
GDP per capita$32.5KCurrent-dollar GDP
Population124MReported population
Labor force67.2KReported labor force
Investment rate24.8%National investment rate
Savings rate24.6%National savings rate
Trade openness20%Exports + imports / GDP
Exports / GDP10.3%Merchandise exports / GDP
Secondary education95.2%Education context
Tertiary education46.6%Education context

Market signals

Where to look more closely next

Route-level risk and emerging-corridor signals for further research. These are calculated indicators, not forecasts.

Destination risk contextAll covered routes
Destination risk context for Japan
DestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
ChinaCHNWatch29.6%31.4%30.2%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSAWatch49.1%30%4.7%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
Republic of KoreaKORCritical attention45.8%35.2%14.6%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
ThailandTHACritical attention74.9%41.6%29.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
PanamaPANCritical attention98.7%69.3%12.2%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
TaiwanTWNWatch39.5%31.2%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKGWatch32.5%25.7%0%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
SingaporeSGPWatch33.2%34.8%0.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
CanadaCANCritical attention72.8%25.2%7.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
MalaysiaMYSWatch40.5%37.6%13%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure

Full route coverage is retained. High attention means the route deserves closer product and access review.

Market opportunity signals

Product-market combinations worth investigating

All returned rows use buyer demand, exporter position, and calculated addressable-value fields. They are research signals, not forecasts.

Addressable-value signalsAll returned rows
Market opportunity signals for Japan
RankMarket and productBuyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareDemand signal
1ChinaHS6 260111 · Iron ores and concentrates: non-agglomerated$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining -2.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$165.0B$115.5B0%Stable +1.1%
3ChinaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$291.6B$98.7B0%Growing -6.7%
4ChinaHS6 854231 · Electronic integrated circuits: processors and controllers, whether or not combined with memories, converters, logic circuits, amplifiers, clock and timing circuits, or other circuits$158.0B$84.4B3.4%Growing +10.5%
5IndiaHS6 270900 · Oils: petroleum oils and oils obtained from bituminous minerals, crude$130.1B$72.9B0%Growing -0.5%
6ChinaHS6 120190 · Soya beans: other than seed, whether or not broken$47.8B$62.4B0%Slowing -13.5%
7ChinaHS6 710812 · Metals: gold, non-monetary, unwrought (but not powder)$80.8B$61.9B1.9%Accelerating +2.4%
8ChinaHS6 854232 · Electronic integrated circuits: memories$80.6B$57.6B6.2%Growing +20.6%

Addressable value is a calculated field. Validate product, buyer, tariff, and route conditions before commercial decisions.

Detailed export portfolioHS4 lines beneath the leading sectorsOpen the detailed four-digit export table for Japan.
All HS4 export lines2024 ranking
Top HS4 export lines for Japan
RankHS4Parent HS2 sectorExportsShareActive HS6
18703HS4 detail codeVehicles (87) ↗$114.1B15.4%14
28542HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$48.5B6.5%5
38486HS4 detail codeMachinery (84) ↗$30.5B4.1%5
48708HS4 detail codeVehicles (87) ↗$26.8B3.6%14
57108HS4 detail codePrecious stones and metals (71) ↗$19.7B2.7%3
68429HS4 detail codeMachinery (84) ↗$11.5B1.6%8
78443HS4 detail codeMachinery (84) ↗$10.6B1.4%13
88901HS4 detail codeShips and boats (89) ↗$9.7B1.3%4
98541HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$9.5B1.3%7
108704HS4 detail codeVehicles (87) ↗$9.4B1.3%7
117208HS4 detail codeIron and steel (72) ↗$9.1B1.2%14
128532HS4 detail codeElectrical machinery (85) ↗$7.9B1.1%9

HS4 values are reported observations. The hierarchy is preserved; no missing descriptions are inferred.

The country export read

Japan combines $740.4B in exports with a broad partner network.

In 2024, Japan recorded $740.4B in reported exports and $691.8B in imports, producing a reported trade surplus of $48.6B. Exports changed -1.1% year on year and -1.7% annualized over three years. Vehicles (HS2 87) was the largest displayed export sector by value.

Destination network

Where Japan exports move

All returned destination lanes ranked by latest reported export value. Share is calculated against the country total. Review sources ↗

Latest reported destination lanesAll returned · 2024
Leading export destinations for Japan
RankDestinationLatest exportsShareYear-on-year3-year CAGR
1ChinaCHN$143.0B19.3%-1.8%-8.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$139.7B18.9%-0.9%+2.2%
3Republic of KoreaKOR$47.0B6.3%-0.5%-4.3%
4TaiwanTWN$45.5B6.1%+4.8%-6.1%
5ThailandTHA$27.1B3.7%-8.3%-6.9%
6China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG$23.5B3.2%+16.9%+6.2%
7Viet NamVNM$20.6B2.8%+7.4%-0.3%
8SingaporeSGP$20.4B2.8%+5.6%+0.2%
9GermanyDEU$19.8B2.7%-13.6%-5.3%
10IndiaIND$18.3B2.5%+8.8%+11.8%

Destination values are reported country-to-country observations. Full returned rows remain in the downloads.

Trade history

A long view of export scale

Latest twelve years from the 30-year reported country series. Context, not a forecast.

Reported exports by year

2013
$742.2B
2014
$714.4B
2015
$650.0B
2016
$667.7B
2017
$721.2B
2018
$761.3B
2019
$731.9B
2020
$662.8B
2021
$780.0B
2022
$780.9B
2023
$748.4B
2024
$740.4B

Partner network

Scale is only one part of export capability

Partner breadth, distance, agreements, and tariffs add context to reported exports.

FTA partner markets48Reported count
WTO partner markets169Reported count
EU partner markets28Reported count
Shared-border partners0Country context
Shared-language partners0Country context
Average partner distance9,989 kmCalculated average
Partners with FTA17.8%Calculated share
Applied tariff context0.1%Calculated average
MFN tariff context0.1%Calculated average
Tariff advantage+0.1 ppPreferential vs MFN

Exposure context

Signals to examine alongside export scale

Calculated or classified route and country context. Not predictions or recommendations.

Attention share44%

Covered value under attention

Critical share7.9%

Covered value marked critical

Below historical peak31.4%

Distance below route peaks

FTA-covered exports33.7%

Covered value with FTA context

Weighted tariff context0.2%

Export-weighted tariff

Macro contextEconomy and income contracted

Primary attention driver: Market access exposure.

Momentum score-1.3

History-based indicator

Partner concentration897.1

Partner HHI

Product concentration96.6

Product HHI

Country attention level: Watch. Missing fields remain unavailable.

Complete country valuesOpen the full profile evidenceFull history, sectors, HS4, destinations, risk, opportunities, and source fields.

Profile fields

Year2,024
Country Iso3JPN
Exports Usd$740.4B
Imports Usd$691.8B
Trade Balance Usd$48.6B
Yoy Exports Growth Pct-1.1%
Yoy Imports Growth Pct-5%
Exports Cagr 3y Pct-1.7%
Imports Cagr 3y Pct-1.8%
Export Partner Hhi897.1
Export Product Hhi96.6
Momentum Score-1.3
Risk Score5
Gdp Million Usd4,027,597.52 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Usd$32.5K
Population123,975,371
Labor Force67,182.9
Investment Rate Pct24.8%
Savings Rate Pct24.6%
Secondary Education Pct95.2%
Tertiary Education Pct46.6%
Total Factor Productivity2,283.4
Trade Openness Pct20%
Exports Gdp Pct10.3%
Num Active Partners270
Num Fta Partners48
Num Wto Partners169
Num Eu Partners28
Num Shared Border Partners0
Num Shared Language Partners0
Avg Partner Distance Km9,989 km
Avg Partner Gdp Million Usd533,678,518.33 million USD
Avg Partner Gdp Per Capita Usd$15.8
Avg Buyer Biz Entry DaysNot reported
Avg Buyer Biz Entry Cost PctNot reported
Pct Partners With Fta18
Pct Partners Shared Language0
Pct Partners Shared Border0
Avg Applied Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Mfn Tariff Pct0.1%
Avg Preferential Tariff Pct0%
Tariff Advantage Pp+0.1 pp
Avg Distance All Partners Km10,079
Num Border Partners0
Num Colonial Partners135
Avg Substitution Elasticity-10.9
Pct Products High Elasticity76
Pct Products Low Elasticity3
Real Market Potential1,053,545.3
Foreign Market Potential20,680.2

Exposure fields

Country Iso3JPN
All History Lane Count60,390
Current Lane Count53,620
Critical Lane Count1,060
High Attention Lane Count12,475
High Volatility Lane Count20,792
Unrecovered Drawdown Lane Count31,859
Declining Demand Lane Count306
Concentrated Market Lane Count26,085
Access Friction Lane Count14,751
Buyer Macro Weakness Lane Count3,010
Monitored Exports Current Usd$725.0B
Attention Exports Usd$319.3B
Critical Exports Usd$57.6B
High Volatility Exports Usd$183.3B
Unrecovered Drawdown Exports Usd$194.5B
Non Fta Exports Usd$479.3B
Monitored Attention Share Pct44%
Monitored Critical Share Pct7.9%
Fta Covered Exports Share Pct33.7%
Export Weighted Volatility Cv0.8
Export Weighted Below Peak Pct31.4%
Export Weighted Distance Km6,429 km
Export Weighted Tariff Pct0.2%
Latest Data Year2,024
First Data Year1,995
Country Years Count30
Total Exports Latest Usd$740.4B
Total Imports Latest Usd$691.8B
Trade Balance Latest Usd$48.6B
Exports Yoy Latest Pct-1.1%
Exports Cagr 3y Latest Pct-1.7%
Gdp Latest Million Usd4,027,597.52 million USD
Gdp Per Capita Latest Usd$32.5K
Population Latest123,975,371
Investment Rate Latest Pct24.8%
Savings Rate Latest Pct24.6%
Trade Openness Latest Pct20%
Exports Gdp Latest Pct10.3%
Active Partners Latest270
Fta Partners Latest48
Foreign Market Potential Latest20,680.2
Gdp 5y Cagr Pct-4.7%
Gdp Per Capita 5y Cagr Pct-4.3%
Population 5y Cagr Pct-0.4%
Partner Hhi Latest897.1
Partner Top1 Share Latest Pct19.3%
Partner Top3 Share Latest Pct44.5%
Partner Hhi All Avg954.9
Partner Hhi All Max1,161
Product Hhi Latest96.6
Product Top1 Share Latest Pct5%
Product Top3 Share Latest Pct11.7%
Product Hhi All Avg99.1
Product Hhi All Max131.5
Total Exports Attention Share Pct43.1%
Total Exports Critical Share Pct7.8%
Attention LevelWatch
Primary Risk DriverMarket access exposure
Macro Resilience LabelEconomy and income contracted

Annual country history

YearExportsImportsTrade balanceExports YoYExports CAGR 3Y
1995$446.1B$305.9B$140.2BNot reportedNot reported
1996$418.5B$318.0B$100.5B-6.2%Not reported
1997$426.3B$309.3B$117.0B+1.9%Not reported
1998$391.8B$254.9B$137.0B-8.1%-4.2%
1999$425.6B$284.0B$141.6B+8.6%+0.6%
2000$491.8B$353.1B$138.7B+15.6%+4.9%
2001$420.7B$325.7B$95.0B-14.5%+2.4%
2002$432.6B$314.5B$118.1B+2.8%+0.5%
2003$487.5B$358.4B$129.1B+12.7%-0.3%
2004$583.8B$422.4B$161.4B+19.7%+11.5%
2005$616.1B$486.4B$129.7B+5.5%+12.5%
2006$666.6B$543.6B$123.0B+8.2%+11%
2007$733.9B$579.1B$154.8B+10.1%+7.9%
2008$801.6B$696.7B$104.9B+9.2%+9.2%
2009$603.5B$524.4B$79.1B-24.7%-3.3%
2010$784.1B$650.9B$133.2B+29.9%+2.2%
2011$843.8B$804.8B$39.0B+7.6%+1.7%
2012$829.1B$841.5B-$12.4B-1.7%+11.2%
2013$742.2B$812.5B-$70.3B-10.5%-1.8%
2014$714.4B$785.1B-$70.7B-3.8%-5.4%
2015$650.0B$609.8B$40.2B-9%-7.8%
2016$667.7B$577.7B$90.0B+2.7%-3.5%
2017$721.2B$634.4B$86.8B+8%+0.3%
2018$761.3B$698.4B$62.9B+5.6%+5.4%
2019$731.9B$686.2B$45.7B-3.9%+3.1%
2020$662.8B$598.6B$64.2B-9.4%-2.8%
2021$780.0B$730.4B$49.6B+17.7%+0.8%
2022$780.9B$841.2B-$60.3B+0.1%+2.2%
2023$748.4B$728.0B$20.4B-4.2%+4.1%
2024$740.4B$691.8B$48.6B-1.1%-1.7%

Top export sectors

RankHS2SectorExportsShareExport partnersActive HS6
187Vehicles$160.3B21.7%19587
284Machinery$140.8B19%197515
385Electrical machinery$131.6B17.8%193262
490Optical and medical instruments$41.5B5.6%193142
572Iron and steel$28.5B3.8%145167
639Plastics$27.2B3.7%186129
771Precious stones and metals$26.0B3.5%12751
838Miscellaneous chemical products$15.6B2.1%18888
929Organic chemicals$14.9B2%143363
1074Copper$13.8B1.9%16249

Detailed HS4 export lines

RankHS4Parent HS2ExportsShareActive HS6
18703Vehicles (87)$114.1B15.4%14
28542Electrical machinery (85)$48.5B6.5%5
38486Machinery (84)$30.5B4.1%5
48708Vehicles (87)$26.8B3.6%14
57108Precious stones and metals (71)$19.7B2.7%3
68429Machinery (84)$11.5B1.6%8
78443Machinery (84)$10.6B1.4%13
88901Ships and boats (89)$9.7B1.3%4
98541Electrical machinery (85)$9.5B1.3%7
108704Vehicles (87)$9.4B1.3%7
117208Iron and steel (72)$9.1B1.2%14
128532Electrical machinery (85)$7.9B1.1%9

Top export destinations

RankDestinationISO3ExportsShareYoYCAGR 3Y
1ChinaCHN$143.0B19.3%-1.8%-8.6%
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin IslandsUSA$139.7B18.9%-0.9%+2.2%
3Republic of KoreaKOR$47.0B6.3%-0.5%-4.3%
4TaiwanTWN$45.5B6.1%+4.8%-6.1%
5ThailandTHA$27.1B3.7%-8.3%-6.9%
6China, Hong Kong Special Administrative RegionHKG$23.5B3.2%+16.9%+6.2%
7Viet NamVNM$20.6B2.8%+7.4%-0.3%
8SingaporeSGP$20.4B2.8%+5.6%+0.2%
9GermanyDEU$19.8B2.7%-13.6%-5.3%
10IndiaIND$18.3B2.5%+8.8%+11.8%

Destination risk context

RankDestinationAttentionAttention shareBelow peakApplied tariffPrimary reason
1China (CHN)Watch29.6%31.4%30.2%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)Watch49.1%30%4.7%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
3Republic of Korea (KOR)Critical attention45.8%35.2%14.6%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
4Thailand (THA)Critical attention74.9%41.6%29.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
5Panama (PAN)Critical attention98.7%69.3%12.2%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
6Taiwan (TWN)Watch39.5%31.2%Not reportedBuyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
7China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKG)Watch32.5%25.7%0%Volatile products account for the largest observed corridor exposure
8Singapore (SGP)Watch33.2%34.8%0.4%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure
9Canada (CAN)Critical attention72.8%25.2%7.4%Tariff, distance or agreement conditions create market-access friction
10Malaysia (MYS)Watch40.5%37.6%13%Buyer-market concentration is the largest observed corridor exposure

Emerging corridor signals

RankDestinationHS6SignalMarket importsCurrent shareStrength
1Argentina (ARG)844513new$812.2K16.3%100
2Angola (AGO)390230new$10.9M3.2%100
3China (CHN)810930new$116.1K99.8%100
4Belize (BLZ)902214new$705.6K42.1%100
5Bahamas (BHS)841191new$1.4M27.7%100
6Benin (BEN)550810new$2.4M12.7%100
7Antigua and Barbuda (ATG)901813new$373.1K48.6%100
8Antigua and Barbuda (ATG)842920new$442.8K82.9%100
9Antigua and Barbuda (ATG)902212new$130.3K100%100
10Belgium (BEL)840681new$174.9K77%100

Market opportunity signals

RankMarketHS6Buyer importsAddressable 3-year valueCurrent shareSignal
1China (CHN)260111$111.0B$119.1B0%Declining (-2.6%)
2USA, Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands (USA)270900$165.0B$115.5B0%Stable (+1.1%)
3China (CHN)270900$291.6B$98.7B0%Growing (-6.7%)
4China (CHN)854231$158.0B$84.4B3.4%Growing (+10.5%)
5India (IND)270900$130.1B$72.9B0%Growing (-0.5%)
6China (CHN)120190$47.8B$62.4B0%Slowing (-13.5%)
7China (CHN)710812$80.8B$61.9B1.9%Accelerating (+2.4%)
8China (CHN)854232$80.6B$57.6B6.2%Growing (+20.6%)

How to read this page

Separate reported scale from calculated context.

Reported exports, imports, trade balance, sector rows, destination rows, and annual history describe merchandise trade observations for the stated country and year.

CAGR, shares, concentration measures, tariff context, exposure shares, and momentum are calculated indicators built from the available observations. They help organize research but are not additional reported trade or forecasts.

Coverage runs from 1995 through 2024 for this profile. Missing values are shown as Not reported. Read the full methodology ↗

Reported observations

OECD BIMTS merchandise trade values are the primary series for this view.

Calculated indicators

Growth, share, HHI, tariff, and exposure fields are derived from available reported values.

Coverage limits

Unavailable values remain unavailable. No company sales, shipment records, or forecasts are implied.

Questions about this profile

Japan export capability, in context

Short answers for readers comparing country export scale, partner breadth, and calculated trade indicators.

What does the Japan export profile measure?

It combines reported exports, imports, history, destinations, HS2 sectors, partner context, and calculated indicators for Japan.

What is the latest reported export value for Japan?

Japan recorded $740.4B in reported exports in 2024.

Which markets receive the most exports from Japan?

China leads by reported export value at $143.0B in 2024. Five destination lanes are highlighted.

Which sectors lead Japan's exports?

Vehicles leads by reported value at $160.3B. Five HS2 chapters are highlighted.

How many years of Japan trade history are available?

This sample contains 30 observed annual rows covering 1995 through 2024. Missing observations are not estimated.

Are the growth and exposure values forecasts?

No. They are calculated or classified from reported observations, not forecasts or market-access guarantees.

Continue your research

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Compare countries, products, sectors, and routes using the available trade evidence and definitions.

Data source

OECD trade statistics with CEPII context

OECD (2025), Balanced international merchandise trade statistics (BIMTS) - HS2017-6D, OECD Data Explorer (accessed on 2026-08-28). OECD BIMTS is the primary trade series for this view. Supporting bilateral trade context uses CEPII BACI bilateral trade flows (202601) under Etalab 2.0 Open Licence. Yugalinks presents derived views of reported observations and calculated indicators. Data terms: OECD Terms & Conditions.