This is a best prospect industry sector for this country. Includes a market overview and trade data.

Overview
Japan has the third largest electronics manufacturing industry in the world and is the United States’ fourth largest export market for semiconductor manufacturing equipment (SME).

The Department of Commerce has identified Japan as a top export market in its Top Markets Reports series. Japan had been a formidable leader in the semiconductor industry until the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, which resulted in reduced production and many business closures. However, in 2015, Japan experienced renewed production and output in this sector, and it has re-emerged as an industry leader.

2016 Top Markets Report: Semiconductor Industry and Related Equipment – Japan

Japan’s electronic products industry, which is the third largest in the world, is the most significant factor driving demand for sales of semiconductors to Japan. According to the World Semiconductor Trade Statistics (WSTS), the Japanese semiconductor market grew from $36.6 billion in 2017 to 40.0 billion in 2018. This growth, although relatively modest, presents U.S. companies with numerous opportunities, especially for those that supply chips for smartphone displays, computer server/data storage equipment, electronic measuring instruments and electro-medical equipment, the Internet of Things (IoT), and automotive electronics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, WSTS predicts that the semiconductor market will shrink by 12.1% worldwide and by 10.0% in Japan due to the unexpected trade issues and decreasing demand of smartphone related products.  WSTS also predicts that the Japanese market will grow again to $37.4 billion by 3.9% in 2020 anticipating the increasing investment for data centers, implementations of 5G services as well as expansion of automotive electronics.

New sectors in 2019 that will contribute to growing demand are data centers, 5G, industrial automation, and deep learning – a subfield of AI technology. Businesses that are on the forefront of new and emerging technologies requiring semiconductors will be able to compete in such a dynamic market.

Semiconductor Equipment Association of Japan (SEAJ), the global industry association serving the manufacturing supply chain for the electronics industry (SEMI) and SEMI Japan, announced that 2018 semiconductor manufacturing equipment sales in Japan reached $9.47 billion, an increase of 45.9% from 2017.
 
Opportunities
CEATEC Information Technology Trade Show (http://www.ceatec.com/en/application/)
 October 15-18, 2019
 Makuhari Messe
 U.S. Department of Commerce Certified Trade Fair
 U.S.A Showcase organized by U.S. Commercial Service Japan

SEMICON Japan (http://www.semiconjapan.org/en/)
December 11-13, 2019
Tokyo Big Sight
 
Web Resources

CS Japan Contact
Ms. Atsuko Shimada, Commercial Specialist
Atsuko.Shimada@trade.gov
 
Ms. Yasue Morimoto, Commercial Specialist
Yasue.Morimoto@trade.gov

Prepared by our U.S. Embassies abroad. With its network of 108 offices across the United States and in more than 75 countries, the U.S. Commercial Service of the U.S. Department of Commerce utilizes its global presence and international marketing expertise to help U.S. companies sell their products and services worldwide. Locate the U.S. Commercial Service trade specialist in the U.S. nearest you by visiting http://export.gov/usoffices.