Trade
Japan’s Trade Gap Narrows as Hit From Yen, Energy Softens
- Deficit falls below 2 trillion yen for first time since July
- Import bump from crude oil and LNG shrank last month
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Japan’s trade deficit narrowed more than expected in December in a sign that the impact from the weak yen and high energy costs has begun to soften.
The trade gap shrank to 1.45 trillion yen ($11.3 billion), falling below two trillion yen for the first time in five months, the finance ministry reported Thursday. Imports rose 20.6% from a year ago, slowing its pace of gains more than economists forecast, while exports increased 11.5%.