(Yicai) June 3 -- While Japan’s influence as a global consumer electronics powerhouse has waned, Chinese producers are making progress in the Japanese market by taking advantage of the opportunities presented by the mobile internet and e-commerce.

Among the Chinese products gaining popularity in Japan are power chargers by Anker Innovations, robot vacuum cleaners by Ecovacs Robotics, bone conduction headphones by Shokz, augmented reality glasses by Xreal Technology, and food delivery robots by Keenon Robot and Pudu Robotics, said Song Xiaojun, vice president of Amazon China.

Amazon recently offered large fee cuts and subsidies, such as lower sales commissions and discounted delivery fees, to Chinese sellers on its Japanese website to compete with cross-border e-commerce platform Temu and budget fashion retailer Shein and consolidate its position in Japan.

Pinduoduo-owned Temu started operations in Japan last July and already has more than 10 million users in the country.

Trade between China and Japan stood at USD318 billion last year, including Chinese exports of USD157.5 billion, down 8.4 percent on the previous year, according to China’s customs data. But sales by Chinese vendors on Amazon Japan jumped nearly 20 percent in 2023..

Their success is partly down to the development of cross-border e-commerce. The geographical proximity of China to Japan brings much convenience, such as faster shipping times, more effective brand placement, and order fulfilment, according to an industry insider.

But with the expansion of cross-border e-commerce, Chinese companies also need to pay more attention to compliance issues and be mindful of the competition.

The products of some Japanese consumer electronics makers, such as Hitachi and Panasonic, are very popular in Japan. But if their products fail to pass muster with local consumers, they tend to turn to US makers in the belief that American brands and more expensive products are better, another industry source said. So the most popular robot vacuum cleaners in Japan are produced by Massachusetts-based iRobot. 

Editor: Futura Costaglione