TOKYO: Japan logged a customs-cleared trade deficit of ¥1.31 trillion in April-September, down 76 percent from a year before, due to decreased energy imports amid lower crude oil prices, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday.
The country logged a trade deficit for the ninth straight time on a fiscal half-year basis. But the amount was the lowest since April-September 2011, when the nation fell into a trade deficit due to increased energy imports after the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
In September alone, Japan incurred a trade deficit of ¥114.5 billion, staying in the red for the sixth consecutive month. Exports edged up 0.6 percent from a year earlier. Exports to mainland China slid 3.5 percent, down for the second straight month, reflecting the country’s economic slowdown.
Japan’s total exports for the first half of fiscal 2015 grew 5.2 percent from the same period last year to ¥37.76 trillion, led by automobiles and electronics parts. In volume, the country’s overall exports decreased, but the export value in yen was boosted by the yen’s drop of nearly 20 percent against the dollar, officials said.
Imports fell 5.5 percent to ¥39.07 trillion. Crude oil imports were down 34 percent, and liquefied natural gas imports 36.6 percent. Crude oil prices fell by about 40 percent. Exports to China grew 0.9 percent, up for the fifth straight time. However, the growth was limited due to a slump in auto exports. Imports advanced 6.4 percent.
