<p>Nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and cadmium (Cd) are trace metals classified as nutrient-type elements in the oceans. This study reports the full-depth distribution of dissolved (d) Ni, Cu, Zn, and Cd during the 2017 GEOTRACES Japan KH-17-3 cruise, aiming to augment the knowledge of chemical oceanography of the nutrient-type elements and highlight the east–west differences in the subarctic Pacific Ocean. The linear relationship of dCd and PO₄ reflects a concurrent influence of ocean circulation and biogeochemical cycling. For the other metals, the dM/PO₄ ratios reflect preferential uptake by phytoplankton, fluvial inputs, reversible scavenging, and release from the bottom. The east–west differences in the dM/PO₄ ratios suggest supplies of Ni and Cu from marginal seas and the North American continent. East–west gradient of the dZn/PO₄ ratio shows severer depletion of dZn in the surface water of the eastern subarctic Pacific, which is consistent with previous research. We calculate the enrichment factor (<i>EF</i>) that is the dM/dAl ratio normalised with the M/Al ratio in the crust for dNi, dCu, dZn, and dCd. The <i>EF</i> values are substantially high in the central part of the Subarctic Gyre, implying the presence of anthropogenic atmospheric input via the westerly wind.</p>