| 1. |
Cutlery by definition includes: scissors; knives; kitchen knives; table knives, forks and spoons; and other sharp-edged tools such as nail clippers, shavers, can openers and bottle openers.
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| 2. |
Among the largest cutlery production centers in Japan are: Sakai City, Osaka; Seki City, Gifu; Miki and Ono Cities, Hyogo; and Sanjo and Tsubame Cities, Niigata.
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| 3. |
Domestic cutlery production and market share by area in 2001 are as follows.
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a) |
Kitchen knives 12,405 (Unit: million yen)
Gifu 52.1,Niigata 28.2,Osaka 7.8,Hyogo 2.9,Fukui 2.3,Other 6.7(%)
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b) |
Knives 5,478
Gifu 53.6,Osaka 28.1,Hyogo 4.6,Niigata 1.0,Other 12.7
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c) |
Scissors 15,581
Gifu 34.5,Niigata 19.4,Hyogo 17.3,Osaka 14.7,Tokyo 1.7,Other 12.4
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d) |
Table knives, forks and spoons 13,604
Niigata 89.0,Other 11.0
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e) |
Other sharp-edged tools (nailclippers, shavers, can openers and bottle openers) 10,990
Gifu 45.8,Hyogo 25.7,Niigata 10.8,Aichi 2.0,Other 15.7
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Total 58,059 (million yen)
Niigata 34.2,Gifu 34.1,Hyogo 10.6,Osaka 8.2,Other 12.9 (%)
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Source: Census of Manufacturers, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
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| 4. |
Backed by a high international reputation for cutting quality, materials and functionality, Japanese cutlery was being exported in large quantities to many destinations. However, as high wages add to cost and other countries catch up fast, exports have been on a sharp decline, resulting in a trade balance that is unfavorable rather than the huge export surpluses of the past.
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| 5. |
2002 exports of cutlery from Japan by item are as follows.
| Knife Sets |
515 |
| Other Knives |
8,454 |
| Razors (Shavers) |
812 |
| Razor Blades |
1,183 |
| Scissors |
2,022 |
| Other |
872 |
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| Total |
13,858 |
Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
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| 6. |
2002 export destinations by item are as follows.
| Knife Sets Total 515 |
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U.S.A. 273,South Korea 101,U.K. 57,Sweden 38,Netherlands 22,Other 24
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| Other Knives Total 8,454 |
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U.S.A. 3,341,Canada 863,South Korea 452,Netherlands 404,Denmark 289,Other 3,105
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| Razors (Shavers) Total 812 |
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U.S.A. 295,South Korea 211,Taiwan 77,Hong Kong 43,France 35,Other 151
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| Razor Blades Total 1,183 |
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China 218,U.S.A. 156,Thailand 124,Taiwan 100,Brazil 65,Other 520
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| Scissors Total 2,022 |
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U.S.A. 500,South Korea 269,Hong Kong 263,Germany 188,U.K. 117,Other 685
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| Other Total 872 |
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U.S.A. 260,Thailand 113,South Korea 101,Hong Kong 66,Taiwan 50,Other 282
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Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
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| 7. |
“Other” includes table knives, forks and spoons, whose 2002 exports amounted to 3,949 million yen. Main export destinations are:
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U.S.A.1,255,UAE 1,080,Saudi Arabia 634,Kuwait 95,Canada 92,Other 793 |
Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
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| 8. |
8. Below are cutlery imports by item.
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1998 |
2000 |
2002 |
| Knife Sets |
250 |
106 |
515 |
| Other Knives |
2,486 |
2,150 |
2,596 |
| Razors (Shavers) |
3,842 |
4,952 |
5,413 |
| Razor Blades |
6,098 |
7,428 |
8,881 |
| Scissors |
2,103 |
1,804 |
2,326 |
| Other |
1,173 |
1,295 |
1,695 |
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| Total |
15,952 |
17,735 |
21,426 |
Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
As the above table shows, razors (electric shavers) and razor blades (replacement blades) are the two main import items, together accounting for 66.7% in 2002.
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| 9. |
Import partners are listed below.
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1998 |
2000 |
2002 |
(share) |
| U.S.A. |
4,651 |
5,378 |
6,985 |
(32.6%) |
| China |
4,692 |
5,933 |
6,963 |
(32.5%) |
| Germany |
3,488 |
3,550 |
4,572 |
(21.3%) |
| South Korea |
833 |
1,099 |
935 |
(4.4%) |
| Taiwan |
349 |
358 |
373 |
(1.7%) |
| Other |
1,945 |
1,416 |
1,598 |
(7.5%) |
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| Total |
15,958 |
17,734 |
21,426 |
(100.0%) |
Unit: million yen
Source: Japan Trade Monthly
U.S.A. used to be the single largest import partner with nearly 50% of market share; however, China has been overtaking it in share since 1998.
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| 10. |
Shown in the table below are the shares of Japan’s two largest import partners in each product category in 2002.
| Knife Sets |
No.1 |
China |
99.3% |
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No.2 |
Germany |
0.1% |
| Other Knives |
No.1 |
China |
59.1% |
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No.2 |
Switzerland |
12.9% |
| Razors (Shavers) |
No.1 |
China |
43.7% |
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No.2 |
U.S.A. |
31.3% |
| Razor Blades |
No.1 |
U.S.A. |
56.6% |
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No.2 |
Germany |
38.3% |
| Scissors |
No.1 |
China |
68.7% |
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No.2 |
South Korea |
4.6% |
| Other |
No.1 |
China |
51.3% |
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No.2 |
South Korea |
19.0% |
Source: Japan Trade Month
Japan imports cutlery with relatively low average unit prices from China, and high-ticket items with average selling prices that can range 15 to 40 times Chinese goods from Europe (Germany and Switzerland).
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| 11. |
The Food Sanitation Law and the Firearms and Swords Control Law are applicable to the import and marketing of cutlery.
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a) |
The Food Sanitation Law prohibits the following: |
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1) |
That the metal part (copper, lead or alloy of these) that is in direct contact with food should not chip; that the lead content of plating tin must be less than 5%; that the lead content of metals used in manufacture or repair must be less than 10% and antimony content less than 5%; and that the lead content of the solder used in manufacture or repair must be less than 20% (lead). |
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2) |
That no lead or cadmium should be detected in any part of plastics products that come in direct contact with food. |
Importers of kitchen knives and table cutlery are obliged to confirm compliance with the above standards and turn in a notice of importation of food, etc. for import clearance.
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b) |
The Firearms and Swords Control Law |
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In Japan, no one is permitted to possess swords or the like without permission from the competent Prefectural Public Safety Commission or registration with the Prefectural Board of Education. Importers are thus required to obtain permission or apply for registration in advance. |
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| 12. |
Cutlery is distributed either by importers to wholesalers or by local manufacturers directly to retailers (department stores, mass merchandisers, specialty stores, etc.). Often, Japanese subsidiaries of overseas manufacturers distribute to wholesalers here.
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| 13. |
Going forward, the cutlery business is expected to become increasingly globalized by way of production in and outsourcing to developing countries. At the same time, imports of inexpensive popular lines are expected to increase, obviously mainly from China. However, further increase in imports of high-end lines is unlikely, since Japan is the third largest cutlery producing country after U.S.A. and Germany. One trend that it is believed will grow further is the importing of semi-finished goods from China and attaching of blades in Japan. Meanwhile, cutlery production using several new materials, like fine ceramics and titanium, is increasing.
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