Port Of Nagoya Keeps Number One Spot

Driven by Toyota auto shipments, the Port of Nagoya easily retained its status as the biggest export hub among Japan's airports and seaports in 2014 in terms of value, according to figures from customs authorities.

The seaport grabbed that status from Narita International Airport near Tokyo for the first time in 2012. The gap in annual exports between the Nagoya and Narita International Airport has since continued to widen. But after growing sharply in 2013, the gap expanded only marginally in 2014, as exports from Narita International Airport rose at a slightly faster pace than those from Nagoya.

According to Nagoya Customs, Nagoya’s exports rose for the fifth year in a row in 2014, increasing 2.9 percent from the previous year to 11.374 trillion yen (US$95.6 billion).

The growth in the Nagoya’s exports in 2014 was led by autos, which climbed 4.1 percent year-on-year to 3.1 trillion yen, or more than a quarter of the port’s overall overseas shipments. The central Japanese prefecture is home to Toyota Motor Corp., the world’s biggest carmaker, and many other auto-related companies.

Also contributing to the growth in Nagoya’s exports in 2014 were metal processing machinery and aircraft. While exports of metal processing machinery jumped 15.2 percent to 517 billion yen, those of airplanes soared 30.2 percent to 287 billion yen.

Exports of parts for audio visual equipment posted a particularly sharp year-on-year decline of 59.5 percent in 2014, totaling 36 billion yen.

Meanwhile, Narita's exports rose for the second straight year in 2014, increasing 3.2 percent from the previous year to 8.1 trillion yen, according to Tokyo Customs.

The growth in Narita's exports in 2014 was led by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which surged 18.2 percent from a year earlier to 471 billion yen. Metal products were the second-biggest contributor to the airport’s overall export growth in 2014, with their shipments swelling 24 percent year-on-year to 136 billion yen.

Naritaretained its status as the largest import hub among the Japanese airports and seaports in 2014. Its imports from foreign countries rose for the third consecutive year, climbing 6.1 percent to nearly 11.7 trillion yen.

The Port of Tokyo was Japan’s second-largest import hub in 2014, importing 11 trillion yen worth of goods from foreign countries, up 9.6 percent from 2013 and marking the fifth successive annual growth.

Nagoya’s imports totaled 5.716 trillion yen in 2014, up 8.8 percent from the previous year and marking the fifth straight annual increase.

Nagoya exports much more than it imports. The gap between the port’s exports and imports amounted to 5.658 trillion yen in 2014, down 2.5 percent from 2013 and marking the first annual decline in three years. Nagoya posted the biggest such gap among the Japanese airports and seaports for the 17th year in a row in 2014.

JOC