“Japan’s farm exports have been growing at an accelerated pace in recent years. According to the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry, Japan exported about 374 billion yen worth of agricultural, forestry and marine products in 2006, up 13% from 2005. This rate of increase was nearly double the average annual growth of 7.1% registered between 2000 and 2005. Still, the 2006 export figure is dwarfed by the country’s hefty imports of agricultural, forestry and marine products, which totaled about 7.4 trillion yen. Neither export or import figures include alcoholic beverages, cigarettes and pearls. Of the approximately 374 billion yen’s worth of Japanese exports in 2006, 195 billion yen came from agricultural products, 170 billion yen from marine products and the remaining 9 billion yen from forestry products. Among the agricultural and marine products whose exports are growing strongly are apples, strawberries, Chinese yam, Japanese green tea, mackerels, walleye pollacks, dried sea cucumber, salmon and trout. By region, the United States remained the largest export market in 2006, buying 18% of the overall Japanese exports. But the huge bulk of Japanese exports went to Asian neighbors. Mainland China and Hong Kong imported 16% each; South Korea 13%; Taiwan 11%; Thailand 5%; and Singapore 2%. The European Union purchased 5% of Japan’s overall exports. China’s share has surged by 5 points from 11% in 2002 to 16% in 2006, but the other regions have seen their shares edge down or remain flat, at best, during the same period.”
- Asia Times Online :: Japan News and Japanese Business and Economy
