Japan posted a trade deficit for a second straight month in August, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday, despite signs of sluggish consumer spending that weighed on imports. Japan’s trade deficit totaled 695 billion yen,

Japan’s trade deficit decreased to JPY 695.30 billion in August 2024 from JPY 940.10 billion in the same month a year earlier, but it was still above market expectations of a JPY 1,380 billion shortfall.

Japan experienced a trade deficit for the second consecutive month in August, with a total of 695 billion yen. While exports increased by 5.6%, imports grew by 2.3%, with the strongest growth seen in pharmaceuticals from Europe.

As a result, the trade balance stood at a deficit of 695.3 billion yen ($4.90 billion), compared with the forecast of a deficit of 1.38 trillion yen. A rise in personal consumption helped Japan's economy rebound strongly in the second quarter from a slump ...

TOKYO - Kuwait's trade surplus with Japan widened 15.0 percent from a year earlier to JPY 76.9 billion (USD 521 million) in August, up for the first time in two months buoyed by strong exports, government data showed on Wednesday.

Japan posted a 695.3 billion yen ($4.9 billion) trade deficit in August as a weak yen inflated the value of imports, even though exports expanded to a record for the month, government data showed WednesdJapan posted a 695.

The wider deficit was driven chiefly by a smaller-than-expected increase in exports, which also slowed from the prior month. Exports grew 5.6% year-on-year against expectations of 10%, with growth slowing from the 10.2% rise seen in the prior month.

Japan's export growth slowed sharply in August as shipments to the U.S. dropped for the first time in three years, while machinery orders unexpectedly shrank in July in a worrying sign for an economy struggling to mount a solid recovery.

Japanese exports rose at a slower-than-expected pace in August, adding to concerns about the outlook for the global economy.