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
Summary
Urgency
Analytic
Egor Danilov
Start trade
Earn on cryptocurrency rate changes with InstaForex
Download MetaTrader 4 and open your first trade
  • Grand Choice
    Contest by
    InstaForex
    InstaForex always strives to help you
    fulfill your biggest dreams.
    JOIN CONTEST

Recommended Stories

Wall Street on edge: Trump's Fed visit, UnitedHealth probe, rising S&P and Nasdaq

Thursday's session ended with record closes for the S&P 500 and Nasdaq. Investor optimism was fueled by strong earnings from Alphabet, boosting appetite for other leading tech names linked

12:05 2025-07-25 UTC+2

US Market News Digest for July 25

US equity benchmarks closed the day mixed: the S&P 500 and Nasdaq posted modest gains, while the Dow Jones edged lower. Investor sentiment remains cautious amid uncertainty over the Fed's

Ekaterina Kiseleva 11:56 2025-07-25 UTC+2

Wall Street on edge: Trump visits Fed, UnitedHealth probe, S&P and Nasdaq grow

Thursday's trading session closed with historic peaks for both the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices, as standout results from Alphabet sparked renewed excitement for shares in artificial intelligence-driven tech giants

Thomas Frank 11:06 2025-07-25 UTC+2

Always zero tariffs for America and plenty of Bitcoins for president. Traders' calendar on July 24-25

In his characteristic style, Donald Trump presented what he called the "greatest trade deal in history," claiming that Indonesia and Japan had opened their markets to American business

Svetlana Radchenko 12:09 2025-07-24 UTC+2

Bitcoin may drop. BTC traders may face price traps

The crypto market is currently experiencing volatility, but many analysts anticipate an intensifying storm. They are warning of potential price traps in Bitcoin's dynamics, fearing a major collapse

Larisa Kolesnikova 12:05 2025-07-24 UTC+2

US Market News Digest for July 24

The US economy continues to demonstrate resilience, fueling optimism around corporate earnings. Investors are hopeful for strong results, particularly from the "Magnificent Seven," while emphasizing the importance of tariffs

Ekaterina Kiseleva 11:52 2025-07-24 UTC+2

Shifting market trends: Thermo Fisher soars, Texas Instruments sinks

Tariffs on Japanese cars have been cut from 27.5% to 15%. Thermo Fisher shares surged. Texas Instruments stock tumbled. Tesla reported, with investors now bracing for a revenue drop. S&P

11:09 2025-07-24 UTC+2

Why Thermo Fisher Stock Is Soaring, Texas Instruments Is Falling: Breaking Down New Market Trends

Japanese Auto Tariffs Cut 27.5% to 15% Thermo Fisher Shares Surge, Beating Wall Street Expectations Texas Instruments Shares Plunge as Tariff Uncertainty Impacts Demand Tesla Reports After Hours, Investors Brace

Thomas Frank 10:35 2025-07-24 UTC+2

US Market News Digest for July 23

The S&P 500 remains in a state of uncertainty despite positive developments such as new trade deals with Japan and other nations. Investors remain concerned about a potential slowdown

Ekaterina Kiseleva 13:03 2025-07-23 UTC+2

Wall Street's new blow: GM loses $1 billion, RTX shocks investors

Tariffs cut GM's profit by $1 billion, shares plunge. RTX tumbles after cutting 2025 profit forecast. S&P 500 +0.06%, Nasdaq -0.39%, Dow +0.40%. Nikkei, EU stocks rise as US-Japan deal

11:54 2025-07-23 UTC+2
Can't speak right now?
Ask your question in the chat.
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.