AP – Japan’s exports rose 7.8 per cent in February from a year earlier on strong shipments of cars and electrical machinery, the government said yesterday.
Exports in February totaled JPY8.2 trillion (USD55 billion), marking the third straight month of growth, according to preliminary customs data.
The report showed the trade deficit sank by more than half on-year to JPY379 billion (USD2.5 billion), marking the second straight month of a deficit.
Exports to China rose just 2.5 per cent and those to all of Asia edged 2.3 per cent higher on-year, suggesting that demand has moderated. Exports to the United States rose 18 per cent and exports to the European Union were up almost 16 per cent.
The picture for imports was mixed, with China supplying JPY1.7 trillion (USD236 billion), a nearly 17 per cent annual increase that more than doubled Japan’s deficit with its giant neighbour.
In all, imports edged up 0.5 per cent, totaling nearly JPY9 trillion (USD60 billion), as prices for key commodities such as coal and liquefied natural gas fell.
