Viable export products for pre-1945 Japan other than textiles

During times when Japan was less economically developed than what we see now the main exports were, surprisingly, cotton bales - more broadly, textiles. After it gained momentum to self-produce simple machinery(~1910s) textiles remained between 20% and 30% of total exports.
Now let's say Japan had to choose another produce, one that presumably requires some sort of machinery but not too much, such as copper or canned fish. Is this a viable export product for Japan?
Sources that may be useful:
 
During times when Japan was less economically developed than what we see now the main exports were, surprisingly, cotton bales - more broadly, textiles. After it gained momentum to self-produce simple machinery(~1910s) textiles remained between 20% and 30% of total exports.
Now let's say Japan had to choose another produce, one that presumably requires some sort of machinery but not too much, such as copper or canned fish. Is this a viable export product for Japan?
Sources that may be useful:

If they had not gone into China, they could have stayed out of WWII, and sold dozens of destroyers and oil tankers to the Allies....
 
Japan's problem in that period is that shipping costs which were very high before the advent of containerization when compared to today. Canned fish for example probably wouldn't make much profit and would be much cheaper to catch and can in America or Europe. I suspect that most consumer goods, unless they're specifically marketed for a crowd wanting Japanese products won't be very profitable to export out of east Asia.

Copper is probably out since the US actually had more copper than they knew what to do with in that period. Exporting tools and machinery may be the best idea since their location means they can out compete the West on transportation costs and the rest of Asia will be clambering for them.
 
Japan's problem in that period is that shipping costs which were very high before the advent of containerization when compared to today. Canned fish for example probably wouldn't make much profit and would be much cheaper to catch and can in America or Europe. I suspect that most consumer goods, unless they're specifically marketed for a crowd wanting Japanese products won't be very profitable to export out of east Asia.

Copper is probably out since the US actually had more copper than they knew what to do with in that period. Exporting tools and machinery may be the best idea since their location means they can out compete the West on transportation costs and the rest of Asia will be clambering for them.

How about exporting to China? Other than the US they were Japan's main trading partner, and maybe they'll be interested in canned tunas and such.
 
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