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  Japan's technology trade balance with major countries is improving in the long run with fluctuations in some years,according to Statistics Bureau's statistics (Figure2-3-18) .

Figure2-3-18Trends in technology trade balance of Japan with other selected countries

  A look at Japan's technology trade for FY2001 by region shows that North America was the destination for more than half of all technology exports by value,followed in order by Asia and Europe.The United States was the single largest export destination,with nearly half of all exports by value,while in Asia the major partner countries(regions)were relatively closer to Japan.In Europe,the United Kingdom was the destination with the highest percentage of exports

  For technology imports by value,the United States was the overwhelmingly most important source,at two-thirds of all technology imports,while imports from Europe were distributed re-latively evenly from all major European countries except France,which held a disproportionately high share (Figure2-3-19) .

Figure2-3-19Composition of Japan's technology trade,by selected country and region(FY2001)

  As late as FY1996,Japan had an excess of imports with Europe and North America and an excess of exports with Asia.Starting in FY1997,however,Japan's technology trade balance shifted to an export surplus with all regions,and then to an import surplus with Europe in FY2001 (Figure2-3-20) .

Figure2-3-20Technology trade by region(FY2001)