Japan's Dec exports fall 8.0% year on year, down for 3rd month

[TOKYO] Japan's exports fell 8.0 per cent in December from a year earlier, down for the third straight month, Ministry of Finance data showed on Monday, in a sign the slowdown in China's economy and emerging markets is taking a toll on external demand.

The decline compares with economists' median estimate for a 6.8 per cent drop in a Reuters poll. It followed a 3.3 per cent decrease in November.

Imports fell 18.0 per cent in December, versus the median forecast for a 16.4 per cent decline, bringing the trade balance to a surplus of 140.2 billion yen (S$1.7 billion). Economists expected a surplus of 100.0 billion yen.

REUTERS