Japan has few natural resources, and trade helps it earn the foreign exchange needed to purchase raw materials for its economy. The impact of the Asian financial crisis also has been substantial. Growth in Japan in this decade has been slower than growth in other major industrial nations. The agricultural economy is highly subsidized and protected. Japan normally produces a slight surplus of rice but imports large quantities of wheat, sorghum, and soybeans, primarily from the United States.
Japan is the largest market for U.S. agricultural exports.
Given its heavy dependence on imported energy, Japan has aimed to diversify its sources. Other important energy sources are coal, liquefied natural gas, nuclear power, and hydropower. Deposits of gold, magnesium, and silver meet current industrial demands, but Japan is dependent on foreign sources for many of the minerals essential to modern industry. Iron ore, coke, copper, and bauxite must be imported, as must many forest products. Labor union membership is about 12 million.