TCI Insights: Economic Impact from Japan’s Recent Natural Disasters

In the wake of this month’s tragic events in Japan, many are speculating on the earthquake’s impact on commercial activity in Japan. According to recent data from Tech Channel Index, channel sales in Japan for technology products from US manufacturers fell by an estimated 35% in the 9 days following the March 11th catastrophe, after adjusting for normal seasonal variations. See the chart below.

Other notable findings from Japan TCI data:

• On average, Japan is responsible for approximately 3 to 4% of international channel sales for the major US-based technology manufacturers tracked within TCI.
• Channel inventories for finished goods, not components, remain slightly low, but well within Japan’s normal range.
• April and May are traditionally important months for the Japanese technology channel, only slightly behind the year-end as the peak selling period.

Click here to read the complete press release. Visit the TCI Momentum Index for an up-to-date weekly history of channel sales volume globally or regionally. Additionally, get ongoing channel updates by following TCI on Twitter at #ZymeTCI.