What Honda Trading does

Honda Trading Corporation, founded in 1972 and headquartered in Tokyo's Akihabara district, is the sole trading company within the Honda Motor Group, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary with consolidated FY2024 sales of ¥1.4927 trillion across 19 countries and 55 bases. The company is organized into nine core business divisions — Light Metals, Steel, Plastics and Resin, PGM (platinum group metals), Parts, Equipment/Dies/Molds, Evaluation Technology Services, CBU, and Environment Resources — spanning the full materials-to-finished-goods value chain, including manufacturing via its wholly-owned subsidiary Honda Trading Aluminum (three plants in Gunma, Saitama, and Kumamoto), logistics services through four warehouses run by Honda Trading Asia in Thailand, and a 49%-held evaluation/testing joint venture (JTLep Inc.) with JAPAN TESTING LABORATORIES. Approximately 5 million tons of steel are handled annually across the network, and the company operates steel coil centers in China and India.

Name

Honda Trading

Legal name

Honda Trading Corporation

Website

https://hondatrading.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Honda Trading is the Honda Motor Group's wholly-owned trading subsidiary, procuring and supplying raw materials, parts, equipment, aluminum alloys, and logistics services across 19 countries for Honda manufacturing operations and external industrial customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices20 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Materials Trading: Procurement and supply of raw materials (steel, aluminum, plastics, PGM) to Honda Group and external manufacturers. Includes import/export, domestic sales, and processing services.
2. Parts Supply: Supply of automotive and motorcycle parts globally, including EV components, with logistics and warehousing services
3. Equipment and Dies/Molds: Supply of production equipment, dies, molds, tools, and consumables for manufacturing operations
4. Aluminum Manufacturing: Production and sale of aluminum alloys through subsidiary Honda Trading Aluminum Corporation, with manufacturing plants in Japan
5. Evaluation Technology Services: Testing, measurement, and analysis services for materials and components through joint venture JTLep
6. Logistics Services: Warehouse operations, JIT delivery, import/export logistics, and supply chain management through overseas subsidiaries
7. GX Business Development: Renewable energy business, carbon credit business, and environmental solutions development
8. Resource Circulation (RC) Business: Waste management, resource recovery, and recycled material planning and sales

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Honda Trading is the sole trading company within the Honda Group, procuring and supplying raw materials (steel, aluminum, plastics, PGM), automotive and motorcycle parts, production equipment, dies and molds, and complete built-up units (CBU). It also operates aluminum alloy manufacturing through subsidiary Honda Trading Aluminum, logistics and warehouse services, evaluation/testing services via JTLep joint venture, and resource circulation/environmental resource businesses across a global network spanning 19 countries.

Product overview

Honda Trading is the sole trading company within the Honda Group, operating as a diversified trading and manufacturing enterprise that spans the full value chain — from raw material procurement and manufacturing to distribution, logistics, and recycling. Its portfolio is organized into nine core business divisions: Light Metals (aluminum, silicon metal, zinc, magnesium), Steel (coil, sheet, special steel), Plastics and Resin, PGM (platinum group metals for catalytic converters), Parts, Equipment/Dies/Molds, Evaluation Technology Services, CBU (complete built-up units), and Environment Resources. Key operating subsidiaries include Honda Trading Aluminum (HTAL), which manufactures aluminum alloys at three plants in Japan and conducts aluminum recycling R&D; Honda Trading Asia (Thailand), which operates logistics warehouses with AI and AMR technology; and JTLep Inc., a joint venture providing evaluation and battery testing services. Honda Trading also distributes third-party AI and technology products including SkyDisk's "最適ワークス" (Saiteki Works) production planning SaaS, UBTECH/UQI humanoid robots and automation solutions, PathAhead's "Rising Sand" construction aggregate, and Powermig's ECO-GAS welding gas regulator. Recent organizational changes in 2026 established a dedicated GX (Green Transformation) Business Development Department and an RC (Resource Circulation) Division to accelerate decarbonization and circular economy initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Light Metals Trading
• Steel Trading and Distribution
• Plastics and Resin Supply
• PGM (Platinum Group Metals) Trading
• Parts Supply and Logistics
• Equipment, Dies and Molds Supply
• Evaluation Technology Services
• CBU (Complete Built-Up Units) Trading
• Aluminum Alloy Manufacturing (Honda Trading Aluminum Corporation)
• Logistics and Warehouse Services (Honda Trading Asia)
• Environment Resources and Resource Circulation
• Saiteki Works AI Production Planning SaaS Distribution

Quantifiable outcome

• 40% reduction in CO2 emissions at Kumamoto Factory renovation
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PathAhead CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Business alliance to commercialize 'Rising Sand' - world's first artificial aggregate made from desert sand for next-generation pavement and construction materials. Honda Trading leads procurement and sales; PathAhead leads R&D and manufacturing.
• Ubtech RoboticscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Parent company of UQI - global humanoid robot maker with Walker series. Strategic partnership to integrate embodied intelligent humanoid robots and unmanned logistics vehicles in industrial manufacturing and warehousing across Honda Trading's 56 branches in 19 countries.
• UQI Robotics (優奇社 / UBTECH subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Strategic cooperation agreement between Honda Trading (China) and UQI Robotics for humanoid robot pilot projects in manufacturing and logistics. Includes demonstration experiments for production efficiency and unmanned logistics vehicles. Honda Trading will also sell UQI's automation solutions through its network.
• Sky Disk (東京ガスグループ)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Joint exhibition at Manufacturing World Nagoya featuring AI production planning optimization solution 'SaiTEKI Works'. Partnership for DX support in manufacturing supply chain optimization.
• Mizuho Bank and Mizuho Research & TechnologiesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Participation in joint research for chemical recycling supply chain in Kyushu region to establish circular economy for plastics in automobile manufacturing.
• Toyota TsushominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Joint research partner for plastic chemical recycling chain establishment in Kyushu.
• Nissan TradingminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Joint research partner for plastic chemical recycling chain establishment in Kyushu.
• Mizuho Financial GroupminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Organizer of joint research initiative for chemical recycling supply chain.
• Sky DiskcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Collaboration for supply chain visualization support in manufacturing. Implementing 'SaiTEKI Works' AI production planning at overseas manufacturing sites including India coil center PoC.
• Tokyo Metro, Metro Vehicle, Japan Comprehensive Recycling, Nikkei Act, Sumi-E Electric, Kawasaki Vehicles, Sumitomo TextilecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint research partners for aluminum horizontal recycling from subway cars. Achieved first domestic Train-to-Train horizontal recycling - aluminum from Shozoku Line 8000 series cars recycled into 18000 series new car components.
• Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Deep partnership for business matching events. Taiwan Honda Trading co-hosts business交流会 and participates in TAITRA's South Asia Business Day. TAITRA organizes international procurement events bringing global buyers to Taiwan.
• Taiwan Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for advanced semiconductor technology exchange.
• Taiwan Metal Industries Research Center (MIRDC)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership for aluminum recycling industry research.
• One&Co TaipeiminorOthers · 1 January 2024Coworking space partner in Taipei station area - Taiwan Honda Trading Taipei office operates from One&Co for new business hub functions and networking.
• JAPAN TESTING LABORATORIES (JTL)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2021Joint venture JTLep for evaluation technology services. Honda Trading 49%, JTL 51%. Provides measurement, testing, analysis, and prototyping services with focus on battery evaluation for automotive.
• Powermig Automacao e Soldagem Ltda (Brazil)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 December 2020Exclusive sales agent agreement for ECO-GAS gas regulator in Japan. Product reduces shield gas consumption by up to 60% in arc welding.

Scale indicators15 records

Recent moves14 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Itochu Corporation: Major Japanese trading house with a strong automotive components and materials business, including its own textile-to-automotive supply chains. Represents competitive pressure for Honda Trading's parts and equipment/dies-molds segments.
• Mitsubishi Corporation: Major Japanese trading conglomerate with substantial automotive materials, metals, and chemicals business. Provides competitive pressure across Honda Trading's procurement, logistics, and recycling segments with much larger capital pools and counterparty capabilities.
• Sumitomo Corporation: Large Japanese trading company with active automotive parts and materials trading across Asia. Competes with Honda Trading for OEM and Tier 1 supply contracts, particularly in Southeast Asia where Honda Trading's Thailand operations are anchored.
• Marubeni Corporation: Diversified Japanese sogo shosha with automotive parts, metals, and chemicals exposure. Active in emerging markets where Honda Trading also operates, including Brazil, South Asia, and Southeast Asia, creating overlap in target customers.
• Mitsui & Co., Ltd. One of Japan's largest sogo shosha with extensive automotive, steel, and chemicals trading. Operates globally with significantly greater capital and broader diversification, competing for large-scale automotive materials contracts Honda Trading may pursue.

Direct peers

• Hanwa Co., Ltd. Japanese trading company specialized in steel, non-ferrous metals, and automotive materials. Operates coil centers and metal processing similar to Honda Trading's steel and aluminum divisions, making it a direct competitor for industrial metals procurement contracts.
• Nissan Trading Co., Ltd. Nissan Group's trading arm, similarly focused on procurement and supply of automotive materials and parts. Active co-research partner with Honda Trading on Kyushu chemical recycling (2026), making them both peers and collaborators in the automotive materials ecosystem.
• Toyota Tsusho Corporation: Toyota Group's trading company, directly analogous to Honda Trading in structure and mission. Both procure raw materials, parts, and equipment for their respective OEM parents while expanding to non-captive customers. The two even partner on the Kyushu plastic chemical recycling research (2026), underscoring the head-to-head competitive dynamic.
• Sojitz Corporation: Japanese sogo shosha with strong automotive materials and parts trading presence. Comparable mid-cap scale, global footprint, and focus on metals, plastics, and automotive supply chains. Competes with Honda Trading for non-Honda automotive and industrial customers across Asia.

Regional players

• Nippon Steel Trading Co., Ltd. Japan-based steel trading subsidiary of Nippon Steel, specializing in steel materials procurement and distribution. Directly comparable to Honda Trading's Steel division, which handles ~5 million tons annually across coil centers in China and India.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/honda-trading-america-corporation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Honda Trading