Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof (18)
Optical, photographic, cinematographic, measuring, checking, precision, medical or surgical instruments and apparatus; clocks and watches; musical instruments; parts and accessories thereof (statistical code 18): imports in September 2026 were JPY 455,171,889,000 (+5.7% year on year). Main origins: United States of America (19.4%), People's Republic of China (19.3%), Switzerland (12.2%), Germany (7.5%), Ireland (4.9%). Figures for September 2026 are preliminary.
Exports in the same month were JPY 537,705,406,000, a trade surplus of JPY 82,533,517,000. (imports: preliminary; exports: revised)
Export statistics for this code
Monthly statistics
| Month | Status | Import value | Quantity | Unit price | Year-on-year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | preliminary | JPY 455,171,889,000 | — | — | +5.7% |
| August 2026 | revised | JPY 442,469,583,000 | — | — | +18.0% |
| July 2026 | revised | JPY 485,271,202,000 | — | — | +18.6% |
| June 2026 | revised | JPY 464,351,266,000 | — | — | +13.8% |
| May 2026 | revised | JPY 416,922,331,000 | — | — | +7.2% |
| April 2026 | revised | JPY 432,555,178,000 | — | — | +7.5% |
| March 2026 | revised | JPY 481,381,991,000 | — | — | +12.1% |
| February 2026 | revised | JPY 415,243,339,000 | — | — | +3.7% |
| January 2026 | revised | JPY 414,688,700,000 | — | — | -2.2% |
| December 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 433,803,297,000 | — | — | +6.4% |
| November 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 421,128,506,000 | — | — | +3.3% |
| October 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 442,608,048,000 | — | — | +4.1% |
| September 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 430,524,885,000 | — | — | +1.7% |
| August 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 375,132,095,000 | — | — | +3.8% |
| July 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 409,065,008,000 | — | — | -5.8% |
| June 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 408,030,713,000 | — | — | +6.3% |
| May 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 388,916,888,000 | — | — | -2.2% |
| April 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 402,352,025,000 | — | — | +2.3% |
| March 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 429,524,300,000 | — | — | +12.4% |
| February 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 400,236,449,000 | — | — | +3.8% |
| January 2025 | revised (second) | JPY 424,136,271,000 | — | — | +16.2% |
| December 2024 | final | JPY 407,544,902,000 | — | — | +0.9% |
| November 2024 | final | JPY 407,556,798,000 | — | — | -2.6% |
| October 2024 | final | JPY 425,042,944,000 | — | — | -3.2% |
Subcategories
Long-term trend (from 1988)
Imports in 1988 were JPY 551,697,707,000; in 2025, JPY 4,965,458,485,000, about 9.0 times as much.
| Year | Imports | Exports | Balance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 (Jan–Sep) | JPY 4,008,055,479,000 | JPY 4,790,086,696,000 | surplus JPY 782,031,217,000 |
| 2025 | JPY 4,965,458,485,000 | JPY 5,641,255,292,000 | surplus JPY 675,796,807,000 |
| 2024 | JPY 4,766,594,439,000 | JPY 5,639,530,391,000 | surplus JPY 872,935,952,000 |
| 2023 | JPY 4,592,337,676,000 | JPY 5,268,499,890,000 | surplus JPY 676,162,214,000 |
| 2022 | JPY 4,139,911,693,000 | JPY 5,291,619,846,000 | surplus JPY 1,151,708,153,000 |
| 2021 | JPY 3,474,348,556,000 | JPY 4,896,817,277,000 | surplus JPY 1,422,468,721,000 |
| 2020 | JPY 3,091,487,457,000 | JPY 4,126,909,364,000 | surplus JPY 1,035,421,907,000 |
| 2019 | JPY 3,516,582,294,000 | JPY 4,431,435,651,000 | surplus JPY 914,853,357,000 |
| 2018 | JPY 3,459,963,504,000 | JPY 4,733,034,237,000 | surplus JPY 1,273,070,733,000 |
| 2017 | JPY 3,266,691,813,000 | JPY 4,635,896,068,000 | surplus JPY 1,369,204,255,000 |
| 2016 | JPY 3,029,010,774,000 | JPY 4,057,388,801,000 | surplus JPY 1,028,378,027,000 |
| 2015 | JPY 3,273,952,051,000 | JPY 4,513,113,310,000 | surplus JPY 1,239,161,259,000 |
| 2014 | JPY 3,026,482,159,000 | JPY 4,454,716,645,000 | surplus JPY 1,428,234,486,000 |
| 2013 | JPY 2,734,384,437,000 | JPY 4,077,713,621,000 | surplus JPY 1,343,329,184,000 |
| 2012 | JPY 2,412,090,127,000 | JPY 3,806,242,079,000 | surplus JPY 1,394,151,952,000 |
| 2011 | JPY 2,236,435,985,000 | JPY 3,790,477,816,000 | surplus JPY 1,554,041,831,000 |
| 2010 | JPY 2,198,751,445,000 | JPY 3,625,062,034,000 | surplus JPY 1,426,310,589,000 |
| 2009 | JPY 1,910,730,596,000 | JPY 2,798,427,230,000 | surplus JPY 887,696,634,000 |
| 2008 | JPY 2,541,035,639,000 | JPY 3,742,229,457,000 | surplus JPY 1,201,193,818,000 |
| 2007 | JPY 2,791,464,937,000 | JPY 4,018,964,144,000 | surplus JPY 1,227,499,207,000 |
| 2006 | JPY 2,996,010,784,000 | JPY 4,308,755,513,000 | surplus JPY 1,312,744,729,000 |
| 2005 | JPY 2,473,144,741,000 | JPY 4,141,064,617,000 | surplus JPY 1,667,919,876,000 |
| 2004 | JPY 2,195,430,433,000 | JPY 4,124,775,212,000 | surplus JPY 1,929,344,779,000 |
| 2003 | JPY 1,985,891,343,000 | JPY 3,379,875,126,000 | surplus JPY 1,393,983,783,000 |
| 2002 | JPY 1,910,639,668,000 | JPY 3,090,319,759,000 | surplus JPY 1,179,680,091,000 |
| 2001 | JPY 1,916,396,654,000 | JPY 3,570,825,652,000 | surplus JPY 1,654,428,998,000 |
| 2000 | JPY 1,720,430,877,000 | JPY 3,867,652,681,000 | surplus JPY 2,147,221,804,000 |
| 1999 | JPY 1,566,757,589,000 | JPY 3,335,291,470,000 | surplus JPY 1,768,533,881,000 |
| 1998 | JPY 1,629,279,585,000 | JPY 3,345,064,447,000 | surplus JPY 1,715,784,862,000 |
| 1997 | JPY 1,617,138,386,000 | JPY 3,479,521,717,000 | surplus JPY 1,862,383,331,000 |
| 1996 | JPY 1,416,666,370,000 | JPY 3,006,164,509,000 | surplus JPY 1,589,498,139,000 |
| 1995 | JPY 1,048,296,601,000 | JPY 2,738,787,204,000 | surplus JPY 1,690,490,603,000 |
| 1994 | JPY 906,073,296,000 | JPY 2,599,023,288,000 | surplus JPY 1,692,949,992,000 |
| 1993 | JPY 800,735,112,000 | JPY 2,587,054,856,000 | surplus JPY 1,786,319,744,000 |
| 1992 | JPY 817,831,816,000 | JPY 2,799,767,364,000 | surplus JPY 1,981,935,548,000 |
| 1991 | JPY 868,776,701,000 | JPY 2,891,034,973,000 | surplus JPY 2,022,258,272,000 |
| 1990 | JPY 860,110,573,000 | JPY 2,781,470,584,000 | surplus JPY 1,921,360,011,000 |
| 1989 | JPY 714,113,659,000 | JPY 2,555,402,926,000 | surplus JPY 1,841,289,267,000 |
| 1988 | JPY 551,697,707,000 | JPY 2,301,949,402,000 | surplus JPY 1,750,251,695,000 |
Some goods moved between chapters with the HS revisions of 1996, 2002, 2007, 2012, 2017 and 2022.
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