Japanese firms are bracing for changes the new administration of US President Donald Trump could bring.

Measuring equipment company Kanomax Japan will move some of its Chinese production back home, in response to Trump's planned tariff hikes.

The company makes auto- and semiconductor-related measuring instruments in China, and exports them to the US.

Kanomax Japan is also considering whether to build a new plant in India, one of its big markets. Officials fear US tariffs will prompt other governments to retaliate with their own, which could hinder global commodities transactions.

Japan's Mitsui Chemicals also faces decisions. More than half of its sales come from overseas markets, including its plant in Mexico. Mitsui ships Mexican components to local manufacturers, which then export their products to the US.

Mitsui Chemicals, bracing for the 25 percent tariff Trump has vowed to impose on imports from Mexico, is considering whether to increase its logistics bases overseas. It could also build production bases in regions where it expects high demand, such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

Hashimoto Osamu, president of Mitsui Chemicals, said, "It is important to forecast what would happen next and deal with it with our customers."

Hashimoto added that material makers would feel the impact of tariffs after their customers.