Japan’s Supply Chain Heavily Reliant on China, Especially for Laptops and Air Conditioners
The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade, and Industry’s 2024 White Paper on International Economy and Trade reveals that in its examination of imported goods sources, over half of the import value for 1,406 product categories (accounting for over 30% of the total) comes from China. This figure is 1.5 times higher than that of the United States, which relies on China for only 567 product categories. Thus, Japanese media Nikkei’s report has highlighted that this data underscores Japan’s significant dependence on China within its supply chain.
According to Nikkei, Japan’s trade statistics for 2022 covered approximately 4,300 types of goods. The report indicates that nearly 40% of these products are highly dependent on a single import source, with China being the predominant supplier.
Specific data further hints that Japan’s highly dependent imports from China include laptops, air conditioners, organic chemicals, and rare-earth metals. Additionally, over 90% of Japan’s imported household appliances originate from China. Moreover, China serves as Japan’s primary supplier of phosphorus, a key raw material for fertilizer production.
The data also indicates that Japan imports 252 and 151 types of goods that are “highly dependent” on the United States and South Korea, respectively, ranking these countries second and third in terms of Japan’s import dependency. In contrast, other G7 members exhibit lower levels of dependency on single import sources compared to Japan.
Per Nikkei’s report, essential minerals, semiconductors, and fertilizers have been designated as critical goods by the Japanese government. The data in the latest White Paper indicates that Japan’s supply chain is significantly dependent on China, highlighting the importance of diversifying procurement sources and conducting risk assessments. Japan has already started implementing measures to reduce reliance on China in cooperation with the United States and Europe.
