Japan posts second consecutive trade balance deficits in 2019

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According to trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance, the trade balance, which is calculated as a difference between exports and imports, was a deficit of 1,643.8 billion yen last year. 
Japan posts second consecutive trade balance deficits in 2019

This is the second year of deficit following 2018 and volume of the deficit increased by about 400 billion yen from 1,224.6 billion yen of previous year. 

 The US-China trade war slowed down the Chinese economy causing weak demand for products from Japan, reduced exports of auto parts and other products to China. 

 In addition to the falling exports of automobile parts to China, exports of semiconductor production equipment to South Korea and steel products to Thailand also fell. 

 As for the monthly trade balance in last December, it was a deficit of 152.5 billion yen, the second consecutive months of deficit.

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