December 22, 2009 — TOKYO — Japan’s merchandise trade surplus with the United States expanded in November for the first time in 27 months as the pace of decline in Japanese exports slowed significantly, according to preliminary figures released by the Finance Ministry on Monday.

Japan’s exports to the U.S. fell for the 27th consecutive month in November on a year-on-year basis, dipping 7.9 percent to $9.6 billion, while its imports from the U.S. fell for the 14th straight month, nose-diving 19.8 percent to $5.1 billion.

The rate of decline in Japanese exports compares with 27.6 percent in October, and helped produce a $4.5 billion Japanese surplus, up 10.6 percent from a year earlier.

The drop in Japan’s U.S.-bound exports in November was led by motorbikes, down 81.1 percent; metal processing machinery, down 75.5 percent; and motors, off 20.6 percent in terms of value. But Japanese automobile exports rose 5.1 percent, the first increase in 19 months.

Leading the decline in Japanese imports from the U.S. were grains, scientific and optical equipments, and soybeans, which slumped 40.6 percent, 21.8 percent and 52.5 percent, respectively, in terms of value. The decline in Japanese imports is significant because U.S. exports to much of the rest of the world have been rising rapidly with the falling value of the dollar.

Japan posted an overall trade surplus of 373.9 billion yen ($4.2 billion) with the rest of the world, compared with a trade deficit of 227.5 billion yen ($2.5 billion) a year earlier. It was the 10th consecutive monthly trade surplus.




Source: Hisane Masaki |