Japan’s Exports Decline in May on Weak U.S., Asian Demand
This article is for subscribers only.
Japan’s exports fell in May for the first time in 15 months on weak demand from the U.S. and Asia, adding to challenges for Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as he tries to steer the economy through a forecast contraction this quarter.
Outbound shipments decreased 2.7 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said in Tokyo today, steeper than a median forecast for a 1.3 percent decline in a Bloomberg News survey of 29 economists. Imports dropped 3.6 percent, with the trade deficit narrowing to 909 billion yen ($8.9 billion).