Japan's Trade Deficit Widens as Imports and Exports Miss Forecasts

Despite a rise in exports to Asia, Japan's trade deficit persists due to lower-than-expected growth in both imports and exports.

Japan recorded a trade deficit of 695 billion yen ($4.9 billion) in August, marking the second consecutive month of deficit.
Exports increased by 5.6% year-on-year to 8.4 trillion yen ($59 billion), falling short of the anticipated 10% growth.
Imports rose by 2.3% to 9.1 trillion yen ($64 billion), also below the expected 13.4% increase.
The Japanese yen's recent appreciation against the U.S. dollar has enhanced Japan's purchasing power.
Imports from Europe, particularly in pharmaceuticals, showed the strongest growth among all regions.