empty
17.02.2022 08:45 PM
Japan's trade deficit jumps to 8-year high as commodity imports soar

In February, Japan reported its biggest single-month trade deficit in eight years. High energy prices boosted imports and manufacturers struggled with global supply constraints, leading to a drop in car deliveries.

The growing trade deficit highlights the world's third-largest economy's vulnerability to soaring commodity costs and slowing demand from giant neighbour China as the economy there struggles to maintain momentum.

Imports soared 39.6 % year-on-year in January to a record high in yen terms, reaching 8.5231 trillion yen ($73.81 billion), Finance Ministry data showed on Thursday. That was above the median market forecast of 37.1%.

That greatly outstripped a 9.6% rise in exports in the year to January, bringing the trade balance to a deficit of 2.1911 trillion yen, its biggest in a single month since January 2014.

The deficit was much bigger than the median estimate for a 1.607 trillion yen shortfall.

"Exports tend to go down in January due to seasonal factors as factory operation rates are usually low due to New Year holidays," said Takumi Tsunoda, senior economist at Shinkin Central Bank Research Institute.

"So it's easy for the trade balance to go in the red in the month, but the deficit was still large, even when taking that into account," he added.

A big factor in the deficit was a decline in car exports, said Tsunoda, which swung into contraction from an expansion in the previous month.

Manufacturers, including Toyota Motor Corp and Suzuki Motor Corp, were forced to temporarily close some plants after facing supply chain disruptions and pressure due to a record surge in COVID-19 infections at home.

Imports were boosted by a sharp increase in shipments of oil, coal and liquefied natural gas.

By region, exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, dropped by 5.4% in the 12 months to January, recording the first decline in 19 months, while imports jumped 23.7%, posting the biggest increase in four months.

This was probably partly due to slower exports and advance demand ahead of the week-long Chinese Lunar New Year, which began on the last day of January.

A bigger cause of worry was the slowing momentum of China's massive economy, which is facing weakening consumption and a property downturn, some analysts said.

"China's economic slowdown could weaken exports going forward," said Ryosuke Katagi, market economist at Mizuho Securities.

US-bound shipments, another key market for Japanese goods, grew 11.5% in January, as stronger machinery shipments outweighed a fall in car exports.

Separate government data showed core machinery orders, which serve as a leading indicator of capital spending in the coming six to nine months, were up 3.6% in December from the prior month, better than an expected 1.8% fall.

Manufacturers expected core orders to decline 1.1% in January-March, after a 6.5% gain in the previous quarter.

Japan's economy grew slightly less than expected in the final quarter of 2021 as falling coronavirus cases helped prop up consumption, government data showed on Tuesday, though a record surge in Omicron variant cases and the high raw material prices are clouding the outlook.

Egor Danilov,
Analytical expert of InstaForex
© 2007-2025
选择时间框架
5
分钟
15
分钟
30
分钟
1
小时
4
小时
1
1
通过InstaForex赚取加密货币汇率变动的收益。
下载MetaTrader 4并开启您的第一笔交易。
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

推荐文章

美國市場新聞摘要 4月17日

傑羅姆·鮑威爾的最新言論引發美國股票急劇拋售。在聯邦儲備主席表示利率可能在年底前保持不變後,標普500指數和那斯達克均出現大幅下跌。

Ekaterina Kiseleva 11:21 2025-04-17 UTC+2

當一切都出錯時:Nvidia 面臨壓力,股價下跌,Powell 等待明確指引

由於美中技術對峙加劇和聯準會主席發表謹慎展望,週三的股市大幅下挫。 美國股市在Nvidia這家全球領先的晶片製造商表示可能因出口規則收緊而損失數十億美元後遭受重創。

Thomas Frank 10:27 2025-04-17 UTC+2

美國股市處於下跌區域:道瓊斯指數下跌0.4%,納斯達克指數下跌0.1%。樂觀的企業報告未能挽救華爾街。

由於貿易關稅的不確定性持續影響投資者情緒,美國股市週二以小幅下跌收盤。消費和醫療保健類股尤其受到影響,但主要銀行的強勁財報在一定程度上緩和了整體局面。

11:38 2025-04-16 UTC+2

4月16日美國市場新聞摘要

華爾街在本次交易日收盤下跌。波音和強生這些巨頭的股票受到最大的打擊,因為關於關稅政策的不確定性持續影響投資者情緒。

Ekaterina Kiseleva 11:12 2025-04-16 UTC+2

市場下跌:道瓊指數 -0.4%,納斯達克 -0.1%,強勁報告仍未能挽救華爾街

週二,由於貿易關稅的不確定性持續影響投資者情緒,美股微幅收低。消費和醫療保健類股尤其受到重創,而一些領先銀行的強勁財報則讓整體情況有所緩解。

Thomas Frank 07:54 2025-04-16 UTC+2

蘋果股價飆升。股票投資者密切關注Netflix的報告

由於部分電子商品的關稅被推遲,美國股市呈現適度增長。科技股表現優於歐洲和亞洲同業,尤其是Apple的股價大幅上漲。

11:42 2025-04-15 UTC+2

4月15日美國市場新聞摘要

特朗普政府做出了一些讓步:對電子產品的關稅已暫時取消,並正在考慮對汽車行業放寬條件。這些舉措引發了積極反應,標準普爾500指數上漲。

Ekaterina Kiseleva 11:29 2025-04-15 UTC+2

蘋果股價大漲,市場因期待Netflix而陷入停滯:美國股市發生了什麼

美國股市在週一以正面開局:主要股市指數表現出強勁增長。在這種背景下,美元失去一些優勢,投資者對白宮暫時豁免部分進口商品(包括智能手機和電腦)關稅的突發消息作出反應。

Thomas Frank 09:50 2025-04-15 UTC+2

4月14日美國市場新聞摘要

在美國總統唐納·川普(Trump)宣布取消對電腦和智慧手機的關稅後,美國股市應聲上漲。這一決定尤其對蘋果等公司起到了強勁的推動作用,使得主要指數普遍反彈。

Ekaterina Kiseleva 12:09 2025-04-14 UTC+2

歐洲晶片製造商欣喜,因為美國提升了股票

歐洲股市在新的一周以積極的姿态开始,泛歐STOXX 600指數在早盤07:09 GMT時漲1.6%。接连三周下跌后,主要由全球關稅紛爭引發。

Thomas Frank 11:14 2025-04-14 UTC+2
现在无法通话?
提出您的问题,用 在线帮助.
Widget callback
 

Dear visitor,

Your IP address shows that you are currently located in the USA. If you are a resident of the United States, you are prohibited from using the services of InstaFintech Group including online trading, online transfers, deposit/withdrawal of funds, etc.

If you think you are seeing this message by mistake and your location is not the US, kindly proceed to the website. Otherwise, you must leave the website in order to comply with government restrictions.

Why does your IP address show your location as the USA?

  • - you are using a VPN provided by a hosting company based in the United States;
  • - your IP does not have proper WHOIS records;
  • - an error occurred in the WHOIS geolocation database.

Please confirm whether you are a US resident or not by clicking the relevant button below. If you choose the wrong option, being a US resident, you will not be able to open an account with InstaForex anyway.

We are sorry for any inconvenience caused by this message.