Japan’s exports down 0.2 per cent in October

Tokyo, Nov. 18, (dpa/GNA) – The value of outbound shipments from Japan edged down 0.2 per cent year on year to 6.56 trillion yen (63 billion dollars) in October, marking the 23rd straight month of decline, the government said on Wednesday.

Japan’s export-oriented economy suffered as demand fell in many parts of the world hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic.

However, shipments to China, Japan’s biggest trading partner, jumped 10.2 per cent to 1.46 trillion yen for the fourth consecutive month of increase, while imports from the world’s second-largest economy fell 3.7 per cent to 1.39 trillion yen, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Exports to the European Union declined 2.6 per cent from a year earlier to 599.2 billion yen, the ministry said.

Japan’s overall imports dropped 13.3 per cent to 5.69 trillion yen, which resulted in a trade surplus of 873 billion yen.

GNA