Until now, product categories listed in production statistics for the Japanese electronics industry (source: Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI), Japan) were decided according to the characteristics of each trade association. However, Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), Communications Industry Association of Japan (CIAJ), Japan Business Machine Makers Association (JBMA), Association of Radio Industries and Businesses (ARIB), Japan Information Services Industry Association (JISA), and Japan Electric Measuring Instruments Manufacturers' Association (JEMIMA) have decided to unify these categories beginning with results for January 2000.