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Who does Japan rely on?

The largest supplier of Japan in 2024 is China, with 22.7% of what Japan buys. Its share was 22.5% in 2019 and 10.7% in 1995. 513 of the 1,145 products Japan buys for more than $1 million have a supplier selling more than 50% of what Japan buys of that product; in 151, more than 75%. In those products, purchases from each one’s dominant supplier add up to 24.6% of what Japan buys.

Summary

Largest supplier: China
22.7%
Concentration (HHI)
834
Products with a supplier above 50%
513
Products with a supplier above 75%
151

Concentration index (HHI): 834 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting purchases among 12 suppliers of the same size

Trend

Trend in shares

China went from 10.7% to 22.7% of what Japan buys

Share (%)

  • China 22.7%
  • United States 11.2%
  • Australia 6.8%
  • United Arab Emirates 5.1%
  • Saudi Arabia 4.1%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest supplierShare
1995United States22.1%
1996United States22.3%
1997United States22%
1998United States23.4%
1999United States21.1%
2000United States18.8%
2001United States17.9%
2002China18.5%
2003China19.8%
2004China20.8%
2005China21.1%
2006China20.3%
2007China20.1%
2008China18.7%
2009China22.1%
2010China22.1%
2011China21.6%
2012China20.7%
2013China20.8%
2014China21.2%
2015China24.7%
2016China25.6%
2017China23.4%
2018China23.3%
2019China22.5%
2020China26%
2021China23.3%
2022China21.4%
2023China22.2%
2024China22.7%

Its suppliers

  1. China$163.4 billion · 22.7%
  2. United States$80.6 billion · 11.2%
  3. Australia$49.3 billion · 6.8%
  4. United Arab Emirates$36.8 billion · 5.1%
  5. Saudi Arabia$29.8 billion · 4.1%
  6. South Korea$28.7 billion · 4%
  7. Taiwan$28.1 billion · 3.9%
  8. Vietnam$26.5 billion · 3.7%
  9. Thailand$24.1 billion · 3.3%
  10. Indonesia$22.4 billion · 3.1%

Some of these goods may have been produced in another country: countries record origin in different ways.

Products with a dominant supplier

Of the 1,145 products Japan buys for more than $1 million in 2024, these are the highest-value ones with a dominant supplier.

ProductSupplierShareSecondValue
CoalAustralia62.3%Indonesia · 16.2%$26.2 billion
Cameras and broadcast equipmentChina75.8%over 75%Vietnam · 8.9%$26.1 billion
MicrochipsTaiwan56.5%China · 7.1%$23.9 billion
ComputersChina64.9%United States · 13.2%$16.5 billion
Turbojets and gas turbinesUnited States55.5%United Kingdom · 13.7%$10.3 billion
Iron oreAustralia55%Brazil · 25.3%$10 billion
Computer and office machine partsChina57.5%Thailand · 9.2%$7.4 billion
PlatinumSouth Africa71.9%Russia · 7.5%$5.3 billion
Sweaters and pulloversChina55.4%Vietnam · 18.1%$4.2 billion
Transformers and power suppliesChina61.3%Thailand · 5.6%$3.8 billion
CornUnited States80%over 75%Brazil · 17.3%$3.8 billion
BatteriesChina70.6%South Korea · 13.2%$3.5 billion
Seats and chairsChina67.2%Vietnam · 10.3%$2.8 billion
Air pumps, compressors and fansChina50.7%United States · 10.7%$2.8 billion
Precious metal scrapIndonesia66.5%Malaysia · 7.6%$2.8 billion
Monitors and projectorsChina59.2%Malaysia · 14%$2.8 billion
ToysChina79.8%over 75%Vietnam · 12.9%$2.8 billion
Women's suits and dressesChina50.2%Vietnam · 10.9%$2.7 billion
FurnitureChina56.7%Vietnam · 14.2%$2.6 billion
Air conditionersChina79%over 75%Thailand · 12.5%$2.5 billion
Parts for cranes and excavatorsChina64.5%South Korea · 11.1%$2.3 billion
Microphones and speakersChina63.5%Vietnam · 16.3%$2.3 billion
Electric heaters and hair dryersChina74.2%Thailand · 8.6%$2.1 billion
Other wristwatchesSwitzerland86.5%over 75%China · 5.9%$2.1 billion
Video game consoles and gamesChina86.3%over 75%Vietnam · 8.5%$2 billion

and 488 more

A product has a dominant supplier when a single country sells more than 50% of what is bought of it; we flag it separately above 75%.

Countries that sell more than 50% of some product; the darker, the higher the value of those products.

Selling: who it relies on

Largest customer: United States
19%
Concentration (HHI)
860

Concentration index (HHI): 860 out of 10,000; equivalent to splitting sales among 12 customers of the same size

Trend in shares

China went from 5.8% to 18.1% of what Japan sells

Share (%)

  • United States 19%
  • China 18.1%
  • South Korea 6.2%
  • Taiwan 6%
  • Hong Kong 4.6%

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearLargest customerShare
1995United States26.5%
1996United States26.1%
1997United States26.7%
1998United States29%
1999United States29.4%
2000United States27.6%
2001United States27.4%
2002United States26.4%
2003United States22.6%
2004United States20.7%
2005United States20.7%
2006United States20.6%
2007United States18.7%
2008United States16.4%
2009China18.6%
2010China19.6%
2011China20%
2012China18.3%
2013China18.4%
2014China19.1%
2015United States18.6%
2016United States18.4%
2017China18.9%
2018China19.5%
2019China18.8%
2020China22.1%
2021China22.2%
2022China19.5%
2023United States18.1%
2024United States19%

195 of the 1,028 products Japan sells for more than $1 million have a customer buying more than 50% of what Japan sells of that product; in 61, more than 75%. In those products, sales to each one’s dominant customer add up to 4.7% of what Japan sells.

ProductCustomerShareSecondValue
GoldHong Kong54.8%Switzerland · 11.4%$18.2 billion
Vaccines, blood and antiseraUnited States55.2%Switzerland · 23.7%$8.9 billion
Makeup and skin careChina52.7%Singapore · 10.4%$4 billion
Cyclic hydrocarbonsChina53.7%Taiwan · 22.6%$3.5 billion
Aircraft partsUnited States70.7%Germany · 5.6%$2.6 billion
Copper scrapChina87.9%over 75%South Korea · 5.8%$2.5 billion
Forklifts and works trucksUnited States57.2%Australia · 4.4%$1.8 billion
Precious metal compoundsIndia65.4%Czechia · 7.2%$1.8 billion
SilverChina62.5%Taiwan · 12.4%$1.5 billion
Lubricant preparationsChina55.5%India · 7.6%$1.3 billion
Nucleic acids and other heterocyclesGermany54.8%United States · 11.5%$1.2 billion
Open-chain hydrocarbonsChina61.3%South Korea · 20.4%$1.1 billion
JewelryHong Kong51.4%Switzerland · 15.5%$900 million
Precious metal scrapSwitzerland74.9%Malaysia · 8.9%$872 million
Metal hardware and fittingsUnited States56.8%Canada · 6.8%$742 million

and 180 more

Concentration compared

The closest countries in the concentration ranking (HHI, highest first).

RankCountryHHI
152European Union842
153Jordan841
154Japan834
155South Korea833
156Libya822
157Equatorial Guinea820

Sources and method

Sources and licenses

Methodology

The data come from CEPII BACI (Etalab 2.0 licence), which reconciles what the exporting and the importing country report, in current USD, FOB. Data up to 2024.

Dependence is the share of a country’s imports (or exports) that each partner accounts for. It does not measure whether a product has a substitute or how much it would cost to change supplier.

The concentration index (HHI) adds up the square of each partner’s share, in percent: it runs from 0 to 10,000. Its equivalent is 10,000 ÷ HHI, the number of partners of the same size that would give that value.

Products are HS4 headings of the 1992 nomenclature (some combine different goods), with a floor of $1 million per product and country.

The EU is the 27 current members in every year; the United Kingdom is outside the EU throughout the series.

Re-exports: countries that act as redistribution hubs carry their notice and the figures are not corrected.