IMPORT OF PEPPER BY JAPAN

Japan is an island country located in East Asia. It is bordered by the Sea of Japan, Pacific Ocean, East China Sea and Philippines Sea. Japan actively imports pepper from various pepper producing countries for its domestic consumption or for re-export purpose.

In 2017, Japan was reported to have imported a total of 8,193 Mt of pepper which 57% or 4,670 Mt of it comprised of whole pepper while 43% or 3,524 Mt of it was ground pepper. The average import by Japan in 2017 was reported to be 683 Mt per month with the highest quantity recorded in November with 956 Mt. The total expenditure of pepper imported by Japan was reported to be as high as USD 73.6 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Japan at USD 8,403 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 9,750 Per Mt for ground pepper.

Year 2018 saw an increasing trend in term of quantity of pepper imported by Japan. Japan was reported to have imported a total of 9,485 Mt which comprised of 57% or 5,428 Mt of whole pepper and 43% or 4,057 Mt of ground pepper. Thus, recording an increase of 16% as compared to the same period in 2017. On average Japan was reported to have imported 790 Mt per month which peaked in May with 947 Mt. Although increasing in term of quantity, Japan’s expenditure for pepper import was reported to have declined by 25% to a total of USD 55.2 Million, recording an average price of the total pepper imported by Japan at USD 5,442 per Mt for whole pepper and USD 6,332 per Mt for ground pepper or a decrease by 35% respectively as compared with 2017.

Pepper import by Japan as of November 2019 was reported with an increase of 2% as compared with the same period in 2018, totaling at 8,746 Mt which comprised of 5,044 Mt of whole pepper and 3,703 Mt of ground pepper. The total expenditure of pepper import by Japan as of November 2019 was reported with a decrease by 19% as compared to the same period in the previous year, totaling at USD 41.1 Million.

The top five countries of origins of Japan’s pepper as of November 2019 were reported to be Malaysia with 3,424 Mt (an increase of 7% as compared with the same period in 2018), Indonesia with 2,748 Mt (a decrease of 3%), Viet Nam with 2,060 Mt (an increase of 7%), India with 416 Mt (a decrease of 10%) and South Africa with 34 Mt (a decrease of 29%).

(VPA & IPC)