The Japan's Market of Fresh and Processed Foods Products

Japan's Food Imports

The Japanese Market, great potential for Mexican food exporting companies: :

Undoubtedly, Japan turns out to be an important option to complement the strategies regarding to the Diversification of International Markets (DMI).

Why is Japan a good option for exporting Mexican agri-food products to the Japanese market?

To understand it in a simple way, we are going to consider four (4) basic elements, which will give us the answer to the question.

FIRST: Because Mexico is considered an important country producers fresh and processed foods produce with added value, with export quality. That means the OFFER exists.

SECOND: Because Japan's population is approximately 128 million people. A country where more than 60% of food consumption is imported; therefore exist the DEMAND.

THIRD: Because between Mexico and Japan exist an Economic Association Agreement (EPA), through which in the tariff issue we are privileged with zero tariffs for certain products, we also have preferential tariff quotas for thirteen (13) products of the agri-food sector. This creates in a certain way for Mexico an important element in terms of COMPETITIVENESS.

FOURTH: Because most Mexican companies and especially SMEs, export their products to the USA market, resulting in approximately 80% of Mexico's total exports; concluding that there is important to consider the DIVERSIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL MARKETS.

Mercado de Alimentos Japón

Existe la Oferta

Mercado de Alimentos Japón

Existe la Demanda

Mercado de Alimentos Japón

Exite Competividad

Mercado de Alimentos Japón

Existe Necesidad Diversificación de Mercados

Japan Food Sector Products Imports

The Mexico-Japan Trade Balance keeps representing a deficit for our country, since the Economic Association Agreement (Mexico-Japan EPA) came into force. Although this time we will only focus in a general way on the behavior of Japanese imports of the agri-food sector from Mexico.

In 2016, Japanese Imports of the Agri-food Sector (includes meat), decreased the ▼ 11.2 ％ and Seafood Products the ▼ 6.9% compared to the previous year 2015. Exports increased ▲ 3.7% in the Agri-food sector, but decreasing the ▼ 4.4% in the Seafood Sector, within the same period.

The top 10 exporting countries of Agri-Food Products in Japan in 2015 were: USA, China, Australia, Thailand, Canada, Brazil, France, New Zealand, South Korea, and Indonesia in this order. Positioning Mexico in the fourteenth of the list.

Imports from Mexico in this sector represented an average of 1.4%.

Seafood in the same period led them : China, USA, Chile, Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Norway, Indonesia, South Korea, Taiwan. Positioning Mexico in the Eighteenth of the list.

Imports from Mexico in this sector represented 0.9% on average.

Mexico has Preferential Tariff Quotas for 13 products in the food sector . However, we only lead with certain products, such as meat and some primary products such as Avocado, Mango, Kabocha, mentioning the main ones. All this information is based on the Official Report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry ( Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery; MAFF “ NORINSUISAN-SHŌ ”)

Illustrative Database

Updated database of Japanese imports of products from the Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries sector (update to 2021 and partial January-October 2022)

** This database illustrative ppublishedon our portal, includes only a general summary, if you want to know the complete database in detail (pdf format), please contact ustohere