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Trade between Japan and the United States

In 2024, Japan exported $144.2 billion to the United States and imported $80.6 billion. Japan ran a surplus of $63.7 billion with the United States, compared with a surplus of $62.1 billion in 2019. The United States was Japan’s 2nd largest trading partner (15% of its trade), and Japan was the United States’ 5th (4%).

Summary

Japan → United States
$144.2billion
United States → Japan
$80.6billion
Japan’s balance
$63.7billion

Balance

Japan’s trade balance with the United States

Trade between Japan and the United States grew 15% since 1995

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

  • Exports 144
  • Imports 80.6
  • Balance +63.7

Source: CEPII BACI

Show the numbers
YearExportsImportsTrade balance
1995$123.7 billion$72.6 billion$51.1 billion
1996$114.6 billion$76.2 billion$38.4 billion
1997$119.6 billion$73 billion$46.6 billion
1998$121.1 billion$64.7 billion$56.4 billion
1999$130.4 billion$64.2 billion$66.2 billion
2000$142 billion$69.2 billion$72.8 billion
2001$122.8 billion$60.6 billion$62.3 billion
2002$121.9 billion$55.6 billion$66.3 billion
2003$116.9 billion$55.9 billion$61 billion
2004$127.8 billion$59.6 billion$68.3 billion
2005$135.5 billion$60.4 billion$75 billion
2006$145 billion$63.4 billion$81.6 billion
2007$144.7 billion$68.8 billion$75.9 billion
2008$138.9 billion$74.2 billion$64.7 billion
2009$94.8 billion$56.2 billion$38.6 billion
2010$119.8 billion$65.6 billion$54.2 billion
2011$128.1 billion$72 billion$56.1 billion
2012$145.1 billion$74.2 billion$70.9 billion
2013$136.6 billion$68.2 billion$68.3 billion
2014$131.4 billion$69.1 billion$62.2 billion
2015$128.8 billion$64.7 billion$64.1 billion
2016$130.5 billion$66.5 billion$64.1 billion
2017$134.8 billion$70.9 billion$63.9 billion
2018$140.2 billion$80.2 billion$60 billion
2019$139.5 billion$77.4 billion$62.1 billion
2020$116.8 billion$69.3 billion$47.5 billion
2021$132.9 billion$78 billion$54.9 billion
2022$147.6 billion$87.1 billion$60.5 billion
2023$142.9 billion$80.3 billion$62.6 billion
2024$144.2 billion$80.6 billion$63.7 billion

What they sell each other

What Japan sells to the United States

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

  1. Cars$40.7 billion · 28.2%
    2.1 million tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  2. Auto parts$7.4 billion · 5.2%
    526 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  3. Bulldozers and excavators$5.3 billion · 3.7%
    805 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  4. Other industrial machines$5 billion · 3.5%
    65 thousand tonnes
  5. Vaccines, blood and antisera$4.9 billion · 3.4%
    130 tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  6. Printers and printing machines$2.6 billion · 1.8%
    37 thousand tonnes
  7. Batteries$2.3 billion · 1.6%
    78 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  8. Turbojets and gas turbines$2.2 billion · 1.5%
    2 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  9. Medical and dental instruments$2.1 billion · 1.5%
    28 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations
  10. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$1.9 billion · 1.3%
    4 thousand tonnes · Japan’s destinations

What the United States sells to Japan

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

  1. Natural gas and LPG$7.4 billion · 9.2%
    12.4 million tonnes
  2. Turbojets and gas turbines$5.7 billion · 7.1%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  3. Vaccines, blood and antisera$4.3 billion · 5.3%
    3 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  4. Medicines in measured doses or retail packs$3.4 billion · 4.3%
    5 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  5. Corn$3 billion · 3.7%
    11.7 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  6. Coal$2.3 billion · 2.9%
    12 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  7. Computers$2.2 billion · 2.7%
    7 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  8. Medical and dental instruments$2.1 billion · 2.6%
    8 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  9. Crude petroleum$1.8 billion · 2.2%
    2.8 million tonnes · the United States’ destinations
  10. Airplanes and helicopters$1.7 billion · 2.1%
    1 thousand tonnes · the United States’ destinations

How it travels

Estimated sea route from Yokohama to Los Angeles.

The estimated sea route between Yokohama and Los Angeles is 5,256 nautical miles (9,733 km) long: ≈ 12–15.5 days at sea (at 18 and 14 knots).

It does not cross any major canal or strait.

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$138.4 billion · 61.6%
  2. Air$86.4 billion · 38.4%

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

How much each matters to the other

The United States was Japan’s 2nd largest trading partner (15% of its trade), and Japan was the United States’ 5th (4%).

The United States in Japan’s trade
15.2%
The United States’ rank among Japan’s partners
2nd
Japan in the United States’ trade
4.5%
Japan’s rank among the United States’ partners
5th

Compare with

Other partners of Japan

Other partners of the United States

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.