4. Import & Export of Cosmetics

According to Trade Statistics by the Ministry of Finance, both import and export values of cosmetics had been increasing on a long-term basis, with the import value to Japan consistently being larger than the export value from Japan since the start of the survey. However, in 2015, the export value rapidly accelerated, and in 2016, it exceeded the import value for the first time. This trend continued for a while, but the export value started to decline from 2020. (Fig.7)

Figure 7 : Import & Export value of Cosmetics (Unit : 100 Million Yen)

China, Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore have significantly grown as export destinations for Japan in recent years. In particular, exports to Hong Kong and China have sharply increased since 2015. Exports to China have accounted for over half of the total cosmetics export value since 2020. In terms of imports to Japan, France and the USA have traditionally accounted for large segments of the import market. However, imports from Asian countries such as China and Korea have grown remarkably in recent years. In particular, the import value from Korea has increased significantly and has ranked first since 2022. (Fig. 8 & 9)

Figure 8 : Major export source countries (Unit : 100 Million Yen)

Figure 9 : Major import source countries (Unit : 100 Million Yen)