News
Members of Japan International Freight Forwarders Association Inc. (JIFFA) transported a total of 46.465 million tons of international multimodal cargoes to and from Japan in the second half of fiscal 2012 (September 2012-March 2013).
The total throughput, which did not include shipments that they co-loaded with others, increased 4.2% from a year earlier.
On a yearly scale, the 405 forwarders handled 93.43 million tons in total to and from Japan in fiscal 2012 (April 2012-March 2013), increasing 4.9% to exceed the 90-million-ton line for the first time.
Exports from Japan were not as brisk as expected during the six months from September 2012 to March 2013, remaining nearly unchanged, or improving a very minute 0.4% to 16.506 million tons.
Shipments to China went down 7.1% to 3.272 million tons, suffering a year-on-year decline for three six-month periods in a row. Those to the country, which managed to defend its title as the most aggressive buyer of Japan-made products, held a share of 19.8%, failing a bit short of 20%.
The U.S. came in second place, to which 2.506 million tons were moved, falling 7.2%.
Exports to South Korea soared 48.7% to 2.03 million tons, while those to Europe, which had been on a downward trend, plunged 11.8% to 1.385 million tons. They switched positions with each other from a year earlier
Fifth place was taken by Thailand, which had overcame the effects of the devastating floods that hit the Southeast Asian nation from mid-2011 to early 2012. International multimodal cargoes bound for Thailand rose 20.9% to 1.26 million tons, helping the country enjoy a greater year-on-year improvement than any other Southeast Asian economy.
Meanwhile, imports to Japan remained brisk in the second half, despite the depreciation of the Japanese yen. They come very close to 30 million tons, improving 6.4% year on year to 29.96 million tons, an all-time high for five six-month periods, or since the second half of fiscal 2010.
International multimodal shipments from China were steady, growing 4% to 15.578 million tons, but those from Hong Kong were not, declining 7.3% to 2.647 million tons. Those from China and Hong Kong amounted to 18.225 million tons in total, going up 2.2%. They enjoyed a combined share of 60.8% of the import pie.
Imports from Europe waned 4.6% to 1.923 million tons, but the region managed to remain as the third greatest source of products bound for Japan.
Those from South Korea grew a remarkable 34.8% to 1.748 million tons, helping the nation finish in fourth place and overtake the U.S., from which 1.47 million tons were moved, rising 6.2%.
