Japan Balance of Trade  1963-2018 | Data | Chart | Calendar | Forecast

Japan posted a trade deficit of JPY 444.6 billion in August of 2018, compared to a JPY 96.8 billion surplus in the same month a year ago and slightly below market expectations of a JPY 468.7 billion gap. Imports jumped 15.4 percent and exports increased at a softer 6.6 percent. Balance of Trade in Japan averaged 363.05 JPY Billion from 1963 until 2018, reaching an all time high of 1608.67 JPY Billion in September of 2007 and a record low of -2795.12 JPY Billion in January of 2014.

Japan Balance of Trade
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Japan Trade Balance Swings to Deficit in August


Japan posted a trade deficit of JPY 444.6 billion in August of 2018, compared to a JPY 96.8 billion surplus in the same month a year ago and slightly below market expectations of a JPY 468.7 billion gap. Imports jumped 15.4 percent and exports increased at a softer 6.6 percent.

Imports climbed 15.4 percent from a year earlier to JPY 7.1 trillion in August, beating market consensus of a 14.9 percent growth and following a 14.6 percent increase in July. Purchases of mineral fuels surged 46.3 percent, boosted by petroleum (59.6 percent), LNG (28.6 percent) and coal (35.3 percent); and those of electrical machinery went up 7 percent, driven by telephony, telegraphy (25.5 percent) and audio and visual apparatus (11.3 percent). In addition, imports increased for: machinery (12.9 percent), led by power generating machine (12.3 percent) and computers and units (9.9 percent); chemicals (5.2 percent), namely medical products (6.4 percent); manufactured goods (6.7 percent), of which non-ferrous metals (14.3 percent) and manufactures of metals (9 percent); and others (4.6 percent), of which clothing and accessories (5.1 percent), and scientific, optical instruments (2.6 percent).

Among major trading partners, imports rose from Asia (7.1 percent), mainly from China (5.9 percent), South Korea (6.5 percent), Taiwan (1.6 percent), Thailand (6.6 percent) Indonesia (18.7 percent) and Vietnam (17.1 percent). Also, imports grew from the EU (6.5 percent), mainly from the UK (41 percent), the Netherlands (33.5 percent), Italy (3.5 percent) and France (3.5 percent); the US (21.5 percent); Australia (24.2 percent); and the Middle East (56.4 percent), mainly from the UAE (74 percent), Saudi Arabia (43.8 percent) and Qatar (69.8 percent).

Exports increased at a softer 6.6 percent to JPY 6.7 trillion in August, beating expectations of a 5.6 percent gain and following a 3.9 percent growth a month earlier. Sales of transport equipment advanced 8.4 percent, led by cars (5.6 percent), and those of machinery went up 9.8 percent, boosted by semicon machinery etc (34.3 percent) and power generating machine (16.8 percent). Also, exports rose for electrical machinery (5.6 percent), of which semiconductors (4.2 percent) and IC (4.4 percent); manufactured goods (10.5 percent), namely iron and steel products (13.4 percent) and non-ferrous metals (13.7 percent); and chemicals (15.1 percent), of which plastic materials (5.4 percent) and organic chemicals (7.8 percent). On the other hand, exports of others declined by 8.4 percent, due to sales of scientific, optical instruments (-2.4 percent).

Sales to Asia rose 6.8 percent, mainly to China (12.1 percent), Taiwan (11.4 percent), Thailand (9.4 percent), Vietnam (18 percent) and Indonesia (16.8 percent), while those to South Korea (-3.1 percent) and Singapore (-16.4 percent) fell. In addition, outbound shipments increased to the EU (7.1 percent), mainly to Germany (10.8 percent) and the UK (2 percent); and the US (5.3 percent).

Considering January to August, Japan recorded a trade gap of JPY 73.8 billion, compared to a surplus of JPY 1.5 trillion in the same period the preceding year. 


Ministry of Finance | Rida | rida@tradingeconomics.com
9/19/2018 10:47:26 AM


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Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2018-07-18 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥721B ¥-581B ¥534.2B ¥ 315.7B
2018-08-15 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥-231B ¥721B ¥-50B ¥ -0.96B
2018-09-18 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥-445B ¥-232B ¥-468.7B ¥ 575.5B
2018-10-17 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥-445B ¥ 384.7B
2018-11-18 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥ -88.6B
2018-12-18 11:50 PM Balance of Trade ¥ 445.4B


Japan Trade Last Previous Highest Lowest Unit
Balance of Trade -444.59 -231.93 1608.67 -2795.12 JPY Billion [+]
Exports 6691.56 6747.93 7681.69 105.08 JPY Billion [+]
Imports 7136.16 6979.86 8047.03 162.06 JPY Billion [+]
Current Account 2010.00 1175.60 3360.40 -1456.11 JPY Billion [+]
Current Account to GDP 4.02 3.70 4.70 -1.00 percent [+]
External Debt 426882.00 413448.00 426882.00 141743.00 JPY Billion [+]
Terms of Trade 96.00 96.00 276.10 83.10 Index Points [+]
Foreign Direct Investment 11334.00 16333.00 45202.00 -3825.00 JPY Hundreds Million [+]
Capital Flows -8462.00 5749.00 51917.00 -26928.00 JPY HML [+]
Tourism Revenues 17929000.00 18634000.00 27665000.00 821000.00 JPY Thousand [+]
Tourist Arrivals 2577800.00 2832000.00 2900700.00 225806.00 [+]
Gold Reserves 765.20 765.20 765.22 753.54 Tonnes [+]
Terrorism Index 3.60 2.45 3.60 0.00 [+]
Crude Oil Production 4.00 4.00 13.00 3.00 BBL/D/1K [+]

Exports by Country  |   Exports by Category  |   Imports by Country  |   Imports by Category



Japan Balance of Trade

Between 1980 and 2010 Japan had been recording trade surpluses every year due to rising exports. Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster in March 2011, trade balance swing to deficit as the country had to increase purchases of fossil fuels and gas in the wake of weaker yen. The surplus was back in 2016 and 2017. Japan reports the biggest trade surpluses with United States, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Netherlands. The biggest trade deficits are recorded with: China, Australia, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Russia, Malaysia and Indonesia. This page provides - Japan Balance of Trade - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Japan Balance of Trade - actual data, historical chart and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2018.

Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
-444.59 -231.93 1608.67 -2795.12 1963 - 2018 JPY Billion Monthly
Current Prices, NSA




balance of trade by Country
Country Last
Argentina -789.00 Jul/18
Australia 1551.00 Jul/18
Brazil 3774.99 Aug/18
Canada -114.30 Jul/18
China 279.10 Aug/18
Euro Area 17555.60 Jul/18
France -3490.00 Jul/18
Germany 16461.00 Jul/18
India -17390.00 Aug/18
Indonesia -1021.40 Aug/18
Italy 5676.00 Jul/18
Japan -444.59 Aug/18
Mexico -2889.20 Jul/18
Netherlands 4612.00 Jul/18
Russia 13402.00 Jul/18
Saudi Arabia 120299.00 Mar/18
Singapore 6755.10 Aug/18
South Africa -4657.00 Jul/18
South Korea 6900.00 Aug/18
Spain -3247700.00 Jul/18
Switzerland 1407.94 Aug/18
Turkey -5980.00 Jul/18
United Kingdom -111.00 Jul/18
United States -50082.00 Jul/18


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