globaltraffic.earth

Trade between Japan and South Africa

In 2024, Japan exported $1.9 billion to South Africa and imported $6.2 billion. Japan ran a deficit of $4.3 billion with South Africa, compared with a deficit of $3.3 billion in 2019. South Africa was Japan’s 31st largest trading partner (0.6% of its trade), and Japan was South Africa’s 6th (3%).

Summary

Japan → South Africa
$1.9billion
South Africa → Japan
$6.2billion
Japan’s balance
-$4.3billion

Balance

Japan’s trade balance with South Africa

Trade between Japan and South Africa grew 53% since 1995

USD billions (current). Japan’s exports and imports; bars: its balance (green surplus, red deficit).

  • Exports 1.9
  • Imports 6.2
  • Balance -4.3

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$2.6 billion$2.7 billion-$151 million
1996$1.3 billion$3 billion-$1.7 billion
1997$1.2 billion$2.9 billion-$1.7 billion
1998$1.3 billion$2.4 billion-$1.2 billion
1999$1.2 billion$2.5 billion-$1.3 billion
2000$1.2 billion$3.1 billion-$1.9 billion
2001$1 billion$3 billion-$1.9 billion
2002$1.1 billion$2.9 billion-$1.8 billion
2003$1.5 billion$3.8 billion-$2.3 billion
2004$2 billion$5.1 billion-$3.1 billion
2005$2.5 billion$6.1 billion-$3.6 billion
2006$3.3 billion$7.2 billion-$3.9 billion
2007$3.8 billion$7.2 billion-$3.3 billion
2008$3.5 billion$7.8 billion-$4.3 billion
2009$2.4 billion$5.8 billion-$3.4 billion
2010$3.3 billion$7.4 billion-$4.2 billion
2011$3.5 billion$6.8 billion-$3.3 billion
2012$3.3 billion$6.1 billion-$2.8 billion
2013$2.8 billion$7.3 billion-$4.5 billion
2014$2.6 billion$6.4 billion-$3.7 billion
2015$2.4 billion$5.3 billion-$2.9 billion
2016$2 billion$4.9 billion-$2.8 billion
2017$2.1 billion$5.5 billion-$3.4 billion
2018$2.1 billion$5.9 billion-$3.7 billion
2019$2.1 billion$5.5 billion-$3.3 billion
2020$1.5 billion$5.6 billion-$4.1 billion
2021$1.9 billion$10.6 billion-$8.7 billion
2022$2.2 billion$10.5 billion-$8.3 billion
2023$2 billion$7.3 billion-$5.4 billion
2024$1.9 billion$6.2 billion-$4.3 billion

What they sell each other

What Japan sells to South Africa

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Trucks$280 million · 14.4%
    31 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  2. Cars$278 million · 14.3%
    18 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  3. Bulldozers and excavators$129 million · 6.6%
    23 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  4. Printers and printing machines$90 million · 4.6%
    1 thousand tonnes
  5. New tires$88 million · 4.5%
    19 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  6. Auto parts$82 million · 4.2%
    6 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  7. Buses$61 million · 3.2%
    10 thousand tonnes
  8. Hot-rolled flat steel$37 million · 1.9%
    56 thousand tonnes
  9. Parts for cranes and excavators$32 million · 1.6%
    1 thousand tonnes
  10. Tractors$31 million · 1.6%
    4 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations

What South Africa sells to Japan

The top 10 headings in 2024, with their share of the total.

  1. Platinum$3.8 billion · 60.7%
    91 tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  2. Iron ore$438 million · 7.1%
    3.5 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  3. Coal$430 million · 6.9%
    3.3 million tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  4. Cars$277 million · 4.5%
    18 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  5. Unwrought aluminum$256 million · 4.1%
    107 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  6. Ferroalloys$199 million · 3.2%
    168 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  7. Firewood and wood chips$195 million · 3.1%
    1.1 million tonnes
  8. Manganese ore$134 million · 2.2%
    601 thousand tonnes · South Africa’s destinations
  9. Titanium ore$78 million · 1.3%
    86 thousand tonnes
  10. Manganese$42 million · 0.68%
    11 thousand tonnes

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Yokohama to Durban.

The estimated sea route between Yokohama and Durban is 7,941 nautical miles (14,707 km) long: ≈ 18.5–23.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

Passages it crosses: Strait of Malacca and Singapore.

Sailing estimate without port calls, waiting or transshipment; not a schedule. One main reference port per country: in large countries it does not represent all of its ports.

Split by transport mode

  1. Sea$3.9 billion · 47.8%
  2. Air$4.3 billion · 52.2%

Mode estimated from value per kilo and geography; both directions together.

How much each matters to the other

South Africa was Japan’s 31st largest trading partner (0.6% of its trade), and Japan was South Africa’s 6th (3%).

South Africa in Japan’s trade
0.6%
South Africa’s rank among Japan’s partners
31st
Japan in South Africa’s trade
3.2%
Japan’s rank among South Africa’s partners
6th

Compare with

Other partners of Japan

Other partners of South Africa

Sources and methodology

Sources and licenses

Methodology

Goods trade from CEPII BACI (BACI_HS92_V202601), in current US dollars, with exports and imports reconciled between countries. The transport mode is our own estimate based on value per kilo and geography. The sea route comes from our own network derived from World Bank shipping density (not from nautical charts), between one main reference port per country (World Port Index); days are the distance at 14 and 18 knots, without port calls or waiting. Data up to 2024.