Japan exports fall 12.9% on year in January

[TOKYO] Japan's exports fell 12.9 per cent in January from a year earlier to mark a fourth straight month of declines, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday, in a sign of weakness in external demand amid a China-led global slowdown.

The fall compared with the median estimate of an 11.3 per cent decrease in a Reuters poll of economists. It followed an 8.0 per cent drop in December.

Imports fell 18.0 per cent in the year to January, versus the median estimate of a 16.0 per cent decrease. The trade balance swung to a deficit of 645.9 billion yen (S$8 billion), against the median estimate of a 680.2 yen billion yen shortfall.

REUTERS