Japan's trade balance turned to a deficit last month after a month of surplus.
On the 21st, the Japanese Ministry of Finance announced that last month's trade balance (exports minus imports) recorded a deficit of 1.7583 trillion yen.
Total imports amounted to 9.0909 trillion yen, decreasing by 9.6% compared to the same month last year, mainly due to coal and liquefied natural gas (LNG). During the same period, exports increased by 11.9% to 7.3326 trillion yen, driven by growth in automobiles and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Japan's trade balance recorded a surplus of 688.8 billion yen in December last year but has turned to a deficit again this time.
However, the trade deficit narrowed by 49.9% compared to the same month last year.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
