Japan August exports rise 3.1 per cent on year: MOF

[TOKYO] Japan's exports rose 3.1 per cent in August from a year earlier, slower than the gains in the previous month in a sign overseas demand is weakening as China's economy slows.

The rise was less than a 4.0 per cent annual increase expected by economists in a Reuters poll. It followed a 7.6 per cent year-on-year increase in July.

Imports fell 3.1 per cent annually in August, versus the median estimate for a 2.2 per cent annual decrease.

The trade balance came to a deficit of 569.7 billion yen (S$6.6 billion), versus the median estimate for a 541.3 billion yen deficit.

REUTERS