A row of trucks parked outside a shipping terminal in Yokohama on Monday, December 4, 2023.
Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Japan’s exports rose 3.1% in October from a year earlier, recovering from a slump in September that hit a 43-month low.
The rise beat the 2.2% rise expected by economists polled by Reuters and reversed a 1.7% decline in September.
According to government data, Japan’s exports increased the most to the Middle East, recording a 35.4% increase compared to the same period last year.
Imports into Asia’s second-largest country by gross domestic product (GDP) rose 0.4%, compared with a 0.3% decline expected in a Reuters poll.
As a result, Japan’s trade deficit widened to 461.2 billion yen ($2.98 billion), even wider than the 360.4 billion yen forecast in a Reuters survey and the September revised figure of 294.1 billion yen.
Daniel Hurley, global equity portfolio specialist at T. Rowe Price, said in a Nov. 19 memo that key areas to watch for Japanese stocks include President-elect Donald Trump’s tariff plans and trade relations with partners. He said it would be.
He said tariffs are clearly the biggest risk for an open, exporting economy like Japan, but also pointed out that Japan has very close ties to the United States, especially President Trump.
He added, “If U.S.-China tensions intensify over tariffs and trade, it is likely to weigh on global trade and global economic growth. will be affected by the deterioration of . ”
