The decision drew a strong protest from Japan, which has long held that all claims from the colonial era had been settled by a 1965 agreement that reestablished diplomatic ties between the countries and provided Seoul with $500 million in aid, money which was used by the country’s government to build up its economy.

When Japan last month tightened controls of chemicals sold to South Korea, officials insisted the action was not connected to South Korea’s handling of historical issues. But in Seoul, the move was seen as a warning shot: If the South Korean government refused to make the labor issue disappear, Tokyo would kneecap one of the country’s main industries.

The restrictions unveiled on Friday in Japan are unlikely to have a major effect on South Korea’s economy or global supply chains more broadly, according to Masahiko Hosokawa, a former Japanese official who worked on the country’s export system.

Moving forward, export contracts for certain goods with potential military applications will have to be approved by the Japanese government, he said, adding that Tokyo puts the same requirement on selling to places like Taiwan and China, which also have large electronics industries that source components and materials from Japan. The process of sorting out the licenses will only take a few weeks, he added.

The concerns are “exaggerated,” he said.

Industry experts also suggested that South Korean companies would find ways to deal with the delays and added costs that the white list removal will cause. The removal is “not a ban on exports,” said Sanjeev Rana, an expert on the semiconductor industry at CLSA, a brokerage. “Companies can eventually adjust. But it’s going to take a little bit of paperwork and time.”

How long is not clear. Companies have had time to prepare for the decision. Japan announced it was considering removing South Korea from the white list at the beginning of July.

Still, sorting out what products will be affected can be a time-consuming process, especially for high-tech firms. The average mobile phone, for example, includes hundreds of components. Manufacturers will have to check each one to see whether it was imported from Japan and, if so, whether its supplier will need government approval to continue shipping it.