Exports of steel bolts from Japan to Korea (Trade Statistics of the Ministry of Finance) were negative at 777 million yen, a decrease of 24% from January to August in 2019, and 1185kg, a decrease of 27% from the previous year.

Japan-Korea has started a trade friction that began with strengthened export control of Japanese semiconductor materials. Although South Korea continues to refrain from buying Japanese products in automobiles, food, apparel, and tourism, it is unlikely that exports of Japanese fasteners are declining due to similar reasons such as switching to home and other countries.

However, the sluggishness of the Korean economy, such as a decline in capital investment due to the decline in the major semiconductor industry, seems to have affected Japan's exports of fasteners to Korea. Furthermore, it can be surmised that the progress of the yen's depreciation and won's depreciation has greatly affected exports to South Korea. On May 1st it was 100 yen = 1044 won, but as of October 1st it was 1116 won.

The items that occupy the top of the fasteners exports were analyzed from the movement of steel bolts (HS code: 731815190), steel nuts (HS code: 731816900), and screws (HS code: 731815900).

Steel bolts have been in the 100 million yen range from January to March, but have been 100 million yen from April to 70 million yen to 90 million yen. All months were negative compared to the previous month. Similarly in terms of quantity, in May it recorded a significant decrease of 92%, a 50% decrease. In August, it is dull with 106% of 33% decrease.

Steel nuts decreased by 27% year-on-year to 266 million yen, and quantity decreased by 27% year-on-year to 199mm. It is almost 30 million yen in a single month, minus in all months, and last year it was in the range of 400 million to 700 million yen. The minimum amount is 29 million yen, down 58% from April. The current price is 34 million yen, down 28%.

Screws is minus 264 million yen, a 30% decrease in value, and minus 86%, a 20% decrease in quantity. In terms of a single month, it has changed from 30 million yen to 40 million yen. Only in August, it increased by 17% year-on-year to 41 million yen. Volume was negative year-on-year in all months, a cumulative 20% decrease to 86 kg.