Japan’s Annual Trade Deficit Narrows as Energy Import Costs Fall
- The value of imports fell in 2015 while exports edged up
- China's slowdown, low global growth curb shipments abroad
Japan Trade Surplus Wider Than Expected
This article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s annual trade deficit narrowed almost 80 percent from a record as energy import costs fell and the weaker yen helped spur a modest increase in exports.
The balance has been negative for 49 of the 58 months since the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Fuel imports soared after the disaster devastated a nuclear power plant and prompted Japan to shut down its atomic reactors for extended periods. More recently, the slowdown in China and weakness in the global economy have hurt exports, even as declines in the yen makes Japanese goods more competitive overseas.