China Versus Japan Top Exports 2009

Oct 12, 2010 Daniel Workman

Japan Laptop and Notebook Exports to China - Colin McMillen (Flickr)

What are the top exports traded between China and Japan, and which country has the greatest competitive advantages for each of these product categories?

China exported an estimated US$1.204 trillion worth of goods to customers around the globe in 2009. That figure represents a 16.1% slowdown from $1.435 trillion during the prior year.
Japan shipped $542.3 billion worth of products in 2009, down 27.4% from $746.5 billion in 2008.
Chinese exports are valued at over twice those from the Land of the Rising Sun. Also, Japan is China’s third-largest export customer after the United States and Hong Kong while China is Japan’s number one export consumer.

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The following analysis starts with a look at the top Chinese exports to the United States. Exports of these top commodities are then compared one on one in the trade between China and Japan.

China’s Top Exports to the United States

Overall, China shipped US$296.4 billion worth of exports to the United States in 2009.
Below are the 10 of the leading Chinese exports to America.

1. Laptop and notebook computers … US$22.9 billion
2. Cell phones … $13.6 billion
3. Toys … $8.1 billion
4. Video games, parts and accessories … $6.7 billion
5. Voice, image and data machines … $4.8 billion
6. Flat panel color television screens … $4.4 billion
7. Computer monitors … $3.5 billion
8. Computer parts and accessories … $3.2 billion
9. Digital computer processing units … $2.9 billion
10. Printers, copiers and fax machines … $2.8 billion.

Clearly, technology products are sales leaders among China’s exports to the United States.

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But do competitive advantages in China’s trade with America also translate to superior export sales to Japan?

Export Sales from China to Japan

Below are leading Chinese exports to Japan during 2009. Shown are the same 10 product categories analysed as top Chinese exports to the United States above.

1. Laptop and notebook computers … US$3.2 billion
2. Cell phones … $1.1 billion
3. Toys … $367.5 million
4. Video games, parts and accessories … $196.3 million
5. Voice, image and data machines … $570.7 million
6. Flat panel color television screens … $1.2 billion
7. Computer monitors … $362.8 million
8. Computer parts and accessories … $1.4 billion
9. Digital computer processing units … $120.2 million
10. Printers, copiers and fax machines … $765.1 million

Compared to U.S. sales, China exports proportionately fewer toys, video games as well as voice, image and data modems to Japan.

Export Sales from Japan to China

The following list reveals Japanese exports to China in 2009 for the same 10 product categories. Japanese-made cell phones were less than $1 million, despite China’s vast population of 1.3 billion. Similarly, Japan shipped just over $2 million worth of toys to Chinese consumers during 2009.

1. Laptop and notebook computers … $154.5 million
2. Cell phones … $806,147
3. Toys … $2.2 million
4. Video games, parts and accessories … $10.2 million
5. Voice, image and data machines … $403.8 million
6. Flat panel color television screens … $2.1 million
7. Computer monitors … $25.7 million
8. Computer parts and accessories … $311.8 million
9. Digital computer processing units … $39.8 million
10. Printers, copiers and fax machines … $13.6 million.

Voice, image and data machines represent the highest-value export from Japan to China.

China’s Competitive Trade Advantages Over Japan

Totalling the above 10 export product categories, China shipped $8.3 billion more worth of merchandise to Japan during 2009 than was imported from Japanese producers.
Overall, Chinese exports to Japan are about 9.6 times higher than comparable Japanese exports to China.
The list below is sorted by exports for which China has the strongest competitive advantage versus Japanese imports for the same product category.

1. Laptop and notebook computers … US$3 billion more Chinese exports than Japanese
2. Flat panel color television screens … $1.2 billion
3. Computer parts and accessories … $1.1 billion
4. Cell phones … $1.08 billion
5. Printers, copiers and fax machines … $751.5 million
6. Toys … $365.3 million
7. Computer monitors … $337 million
8. Video games, parts and accessories … $186 million
9. Voice, image and data machines … $166.9 million
10. Digital computer processing units … $80.4 million.

At the product level, China has established significant surpluses in technology products from computes to cell phones.
For its part, Japan has to increase its competitiveness in technical products beyond its current strengths in telecommunications devices including voice, image and data machines.
Both countries could strengthen their sales of exported video games.
Sources: This analysis presents independent calculations and insights based on the United States International Trade Commission’s Interactive Tariff and Trade Dataweb, United Nations COMTRADE database, DESA/UNSD and the Central Intelligence Agency’s (CIA) World Factbook.