NEWARK, N.J. -
Among U.S. industries that import goods in transport containers from Japan, the biggest is the auto sector, according to analysis from The Journal of Commerce/PIERS. Most catastrophic natural disasters like the one that decimated Japan tend to have a far-reaching economic impact and can certainly dole a heavy blow to exports; however, the auto industry and related fields could be hurt the most in that country and in overseas markets that rely on a continuous supply.
 

This means that auto manufacturing and supporting fields face “the greatest threat of disruption as Japan’s industrial output struggles” in the wake of the disaster, according to the analysis.

PIERS data further noted that Japan is the third-largest containerized goods exporter to U.S. The island nation follows China and Korea.

Moreover, officials indicated that Japan ranks as the second-largest importer from the U.S., based on PIERS data regarding container volume. China is No. 1.

Continuing on, the analysis does point out that while the Sendai, Hitachinaka and Kashima ports have shut down, the largest ports in the country have stayed open with commercial ships coming through.

That said, The Journal of Commerce economist Mario Moreno pointed out that exports from Japan “will weaken in the months ahead as the closing of several manufacturing plants prompted by electricity shortages, combines with severely damaged roads and bridges to hamper production.”

Delving into some specifics regarding Japan’s role in auto parts side of the business in the U.S., analysts pointed out that 28 percent of auto parts imported to U.S. last year were from Japan. With vehicle sales climbing in the U.S. in 2010, there was a 22-percent lift in auto parts imported to the U.S. from Japan last year, PIERS data indicated.

“The increase was already slowing in 2011, growing by only 3 percent year-over-year in January 2011 versus 2010,” officials noted.

Moreno shared: “The positive trend is unlikely to continue. U.S. car manufacturers, like Toyota, must meet strict specifications and use Toyota-made auto parts only.”

In December, Moreno had projected that the number of U.S. containerized imports from Japan would fall 2.5 percent after rather robust numbers in 2010.

Offering some more analysis, officials noted that China — which accounted for 21 percent of Japan’s exports last year — ranks as Japan’s No. 1 export market. The U.S. was at 17 percent.

There was $598 billion in exports from Japan to China last year, which marked a 36-percent year-over-year rise, according to PIERS Stats Plus. Meanwhile, Japan-to-U.S. exports came in at $482 billion, which marked a 26-percent uptick.