ABSTRACT
In 1986 Japan imported manufactured goods to the value of only US S 330 per head of population, whereas the Federal Republic of Germany imported US S 2,000. Under the circumstances—which limit the sale of foreign finished products—the Federal Republic of Germany plays an important role in supplying many sectors of the Japanese market. For some types of machinery and equipment German products, with import shares ranging from a fraction over 30% to well over 70%, actually hold top position, ahead of Switzerland and the United States; the USA, not least for historical and political reasons, is completely dominant as a supplier of industrial products. The Federal Republic’s very subordinate position to the United States as an importer of electrical medical equipment is ascribed to the fact “that Japanese medical students no longer study in Germany as a matter of course but try to acquire their knowledge in the USA.
