Japan's total Imports in 2024 were valued at US$742.67 Billion, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. Japan's main import partners were: China, the United States and Australia. The top three import commodities were: Mineral fuels, oils, distillation products; Electrical, electronic equipment and Machinery, nuclear reactors, boilers. Total Exports were valued at US$707.39 Billion. In 2024, Japan had a trade deficit of US$35.28 Billion.

Japan receives almost **** of its commodity imports from Asia, as China remains a key trade partner. In 2024, commodities imported from China accounted for a **** percent share of imports on a value basis. The United States followed as the second-largest source of goods entering Japan, while it overtook China as the leading export partner in 2024. What goods are entering Japan? The country’s low energy self-sufficiency and lack of reserves makes ************* like *********, *********************, and **** a key import item. Another commodity group important to domestic manufacturers is electrical machinery, including semiconductors and communications devices. As Japan is home to prominent multinational corporations in the automotive, technology, and consumer electronics industries, semiconductors have become a strategic element to the country’s economic success. While the Japanese government plans to revive the domestic semiconductor industry through financial support, imports of integrated circuits from production areas like Taiwan and South Korea are needed to meet demand. Japan’s import position in the global market Japan’s current account of goods and services is characterized by a deficit as imports exceed exports. The country managed to shrink the deficit in the last decade, but it grew again since 2022. A jump in mineral fuel prices and the weakening of the yen compared to major currencies like the U.S. dollar and euro drove up import costs. Apart from China, major trade partners with whom Japan recorded a negative trade balance include mostly suppliers of ************* like *********, ************, and the ********************.

Imports in Japan decreased to 8599.61 JPY Billion in February from 10606.91 JPY Billion in January of 2025. This dataset provides the latest reported value for - Japan Imports - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news.

In 2023, imports of goods to Japan represented an 18.6 percent share of the country's gross domestic product (GDP). Major commodities imported to Japan include mineral fuels and electrical machinery.

In 2023, South Africa was the leading exporter of goods to Japan in Africa with a value of over one trillion Japanese yen. Japan mainly imported manufactured goods and metals from South Africa while major imports from Nigeria and Algeria included mineral fuels and petroleum.

Imports YoY in Japan decreased to -7.70 percent in May from -2.20 percent in April of 2025. This dataset includes a chart with historical data for Japan Imports YoY.

Japan’s trade openness has increased significantly in the last decades as the country is working towards market liberalization and the expansion of trade relations. However, despite the increasing number of bilateral agreements created with trading partners, the United States and China remain Japan's biggest export markets. In 2024, the United States received around ** percent of commodities leaving Japan. China followed with a **** percent share, with general and electrical machinery being major goods exported from Japan to the East Asian partner. What goods are leaving Japan? Japan exported commodities valued at around *** trillion Japanese yen in 2024. Transport equipment and machinery were the leading commodities leaving the country, driven by the prominence of domestic automotive and machinery brands in the global market. Motor vehicles are a long-standing pillar of the export market, with widely recognized brands like Honda, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, and Toyota originating from Japan. Japan’s export position in the global market The demand for Japanese goods has been rising globally, pushed by the favorable impression of quality products among consumers and businesses. While Japan is not a heavily trade-dependent nation, the trade openness ratio jumped to an all-time high in 2022, as the sum of imports and exports constituted almost ** percent share of the gross domestic product. Commodity exports are the main segment in the trade accounts of the Japanese GDP, whereas service exports are a minor segment.

In 2023, the import of goods to Japan from Vietnam was valued at around 23.3 billion U.S. dollars, almost double the amount compared to 2014. That year, electrical machinery and related equipment, as well as related parts were the major commodities exported from Vietnam to Japan.

Historical chart and dataset showing Japan imports by year from 1970 to 2023.

Graph and download economic data for International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Imports: Commodities for Japan (XTIMVA01JPQ667S) from Q1 1957 to Q1 2025 about imports, Japan, trade, and goods.

Graph and download economic data for International Merchandise Trade Statistics: Imports: Commodities for Japan (XTIMVA01JPM667S) from Jan 1957 to Apr 2025 about imports, Japan, trade, and goods.

United States Imports from Japan was US$152.07 Billion during 2024, according to the United Nations COMTRADE database on international trade. United States Imports from Japan - data, historical chart and statistics - was last updated on May of 2025.

Key information about Japan Total Exports

• Japan Total Exports recorded 59.1 USD bn in Jan 2025, compared with 61.4 USD bn in the previous month
• Japan Total Exports data is updated monthly, available from Apr 1995 to Jan 2025, with an averaged value of 55.6 USD bn
• The data reached an all-time high of 74.1 USD bn in Sep 2011 and a record low of 29.6 USD bn in Aug 1998

CEIC converts monthly Total Exports into USD. The Ministry of Finance provides Total Exports, FOB, in local currency. Federal Reserve Board average market exchange rate is used for currency conversions.


Further information about Japan Total Exports

• In the latest reports, Japan Total Exports grew 5.9 % YoY in Jan 2025
• Total Imports recorded 64.6 USD bn in Jan 2025, which registered an increase of 15.9 % year on year
• Japan Trade Balance recorded a deficit of 5.5 USD bn in Jan 2025

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Switzerland data was reported at 618,113,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 613,326,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Switzerland data is updated yearly, averaging 465,864,500.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 618,113,000.000 JPY th in 2016 and a record low of 225,002,000.000 JPY th in 2005. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Switzerland data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.

Japan trade balance for 2023 was -64.81 billion US dollars, a 59.5% decline from 2022.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Japan trade balance for 2022 was <strong>-160.05 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>510.73% increase</strong> from 2021.</li>
<li>Japan trade balance for 2021 was <strong>-26.21 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>92.87% increase</strong> from 2020.</li>
<li>Japan trade balance for 2020 was <strong>-13.59 billion US dollars</strong>, a <strong>8.25% decline</strong> from 2019.</li>
</ul>External balance on goods and services (formerly resource balance) equals exports of goods and services minus imports of goods and services (previously nonfactor services). Data are in current U.S. dollars.

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: All Countries data was reported at 3,945,456,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 4,022,045,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: All Countries data is updated yearly, averaging 2,423,922,000.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4,022,045,000.000 JPY th in 2015 and a record low of 1,419,111,000.000 JPY th in 2005. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: All Countries data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Ireland data was reported at 469,321,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 666,381,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Ireland data is updated yearly, averaging 58,496,000.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 666,381,000.000 JPY th in 2015 and a record low of 51,918,000.000 JPY th in 2008. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Ireland data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Belgium data was reported at 191,562,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 164,456,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Belgium data is updated yearly, averaging 168,460,500.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 194,964,000.000 JPY th in 2009 and a record low of 97,104,000.000 JPY th in 2006. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Belgium data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Puerto Rico, US data was reported at 205,588,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 189,083,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Puerto Rico, US data is updated yearly, averaging 93,945,500.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 205,588,000.000 JPY th in 2016 and a record low of 63,172,000.000 JPY th in 2005. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Puerto Rico, US data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.

Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Germany data was reported at 623,452,000.000 JPY th in 2016. This records an increase from the previous number of 621,917,000.000 JPY th for 2015. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Germany data is updated yearly, averaging 289,245,500.000 JPY th from Dec 2005 (Median) to 2016, with 12 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 623,452,000.000 JPY th in 2016 and a record low of 208,084,000.000 JPY th in 2006. Japan Imports Value: Pharmaceutical: ow Germany data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Japan – Table JP.RT016: Imports Value by Major Country.