Japan’s Big Trade Deficit Fuels Inflation Via Yen’s Decline

Japan’s trade deficit stayed large in September with little signs of a reversal anytime soon, straining household budgets as the nation’s tumbling currency breaks through 150 per dollar.

The trade shortfall was 2.09 trillion yen ($14 billion), exceeding 2 trillion yen for a second month after hitting a record in August, the finance ministry reported on Thursday.