http://www.bloomberg.com/live
A shipping container is loaded from a truck onto a container ship at a shipping terminal in Tokyo. Overseas shipments rose 17 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said Thursday, compared with the median estimate for a 13.5 percent gain in a Bloomberg News survey. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) --Japanese export growth accelerated to the fastest pace in more than a year in January, with stronger demand from Asia and the U.S. supporting a recovery in the world’s third-biggest economy.
The value of overseas shipments jumped 17 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said Thursday, exceeding a median 13.5 percent forecast. Imports fell 9 percent, reducing the trade deficit to 1.2 trillion yen ($9.9 billion) from a record shortfall of 2.8 trillion yen in January last year.
Export volumes rose the most in four years, signaling the yen’s drop is starting to aid an economy that struggled out of recession last quarter amid weakness in consumer and business spending. The drop in oil prices is cutting import costs.
“Japanese exporters finally responded to the weakness of the yen. It took nearly two years - a much longer time-lag than we originally had expected,” said Masaaki Kanno, economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co., who forecasts a return to a trade surplus next quarter or even earlier. “Export volume seems to have picked up because of the weak yen and also the gradual recovery of the global economy.”
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was headed Thursday for the highest close in 15 years as the biggest banks and Sony Corp. climbed. The stock index rose 0.4 percent at 2:18 p.m. in Tokyo.
The yen was up 0.1 percent at 118.68 against the dollar, having lost 22 percent since the Bank of Japan began unprecedented monetary stimulus in April 2013 in an effort to reflate the economy.
Economy Rebounds
The central bank Wednesday gave a more upbeat assessment of exports than last month, saying they have been “picking up.”
Export volumes climbed 11 percent in January from a year earlier, helped by increased shipments of semiconductors and cars.
The value of Japan’s exports to Asia was the highest ever for January, according to the finance ministry.
Automobiles were the biggest driver of growth in export values, with car shipments to the U.S. rising 14 percent and those to the EU up more than 16 percent. Exports of semiconductor components rose 24 percent, the second-largest contribution to the jump in total shipment values.
Much of the decline in imports stemmed from lower energy prices. The value of crude oil imports fell almost 41 percent, while that of liquid petroleum gas dropped 40 percent.
Japan Export Growth Accelerates on Stronger Asia Demand: Economy - Bloomberg Business
A shipping container is loaded from a truck onto a container ship at a shipping terminal in Tokyo. Overseas shipments rose 17 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said Thursday, compared with the median estimate for a 13.5 percent gain in a Bloomberg News survey. Photographer: Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg
(Bloomberg) --Japanese export growth accelerated to the fastest pace in more than a year in January, with stronger demand from Asia and the U.S. supporting a recovery in the world’s third-biggest economy.
The value of overseas shipments jumped 17 percent from a year earlier, the finance ministry said Thursday, exceeding a median 13.5 percent forecast. Imports fell 9 percent, reducing the trade deficit to 1.2 trillion yen ($9.9 billion) from a record shortfall of 2.8 trillion yen in January last year.
Export volumes rose the most in four years, signaling the yen’s drop is starting to aid an economy that struggled out of recession last quarter amid weakness in consumer and business spending. The drop in oil prices is cutting import costs.
“Japanese exporters finally responded to the weakness of the yen. It took nearly two years - a much longer time-lag than we originally had expected,” said Masaaki Kanno, economist at JPMorgan Chase & Co., who forecasts a return to a trade surplus next quarter or even earlier. “Export volume seems to have picked up because of the weak yen and also the gradual recovery of the global economy.”
The Nikkei 225 Stock Average was headed Thursday for the highest close in 15 years as the biggest banks and Sony Corp. climbed. The stock index rose 0.4 percent at 2:18 p.m. in Tokyo.
The yen was up 0.1 percent at 118.68 against the dollar, having lost 22 percent since the Bank of Japan began unprecedented monetary stimulus in April 2013 in an effort to reflate the economy.
Economy Rebounds
The central bank Wednesday gave a more upbeat assessment of exports than last month, saying they have been “picking up.”
Export volumes climbed 11 percent in January from a year earlier, helped by increased shipments of semiconductors and cars.
The value of Japan’s exports to Asia was the highest ever for January, according to the finance ministry.
Automobiles were the biggest driver of growth in export values, with car shipments to the U.S. rising 14 percent and those to the EU up more than 16 percent. Exports of semiconductor components rose 24 percent, the second-largest contribution to the jump in total shipment values.
Much of the decline in imports stemmed from lower energy prices. The value of crude oil imports fell almost 41 percent, while that of liquid petroleum gas dropped 40 percent.
Japan Export Growth Accelerates on Stronger Asia Demand: Economy - Bloomberg Business
- Who would have thought that a strong US economy could be good for other nations
. When the US is strong, the world is strong. When the US declines so to does everyone else... everyone else! For all the doomsayers out there in PDFburgh proclaiming or wishing for the demise of the US economy, let this be a reminder that the US remain one of the most important nations economically, and not even China, for all its economic might, can influence the world economy in the same way as the US.
). The U.S also has the worlds best education system/universities and the worlds best/largest financial and banking industry, again no other country even comes close(bar the U.K). The U.S stock/capital market are by far the most adavanced, reason many of the biggest Chinese, Russian tech companies rush to list in the U.S, again no other country comes close. Im not even talking militarily/culturally etc. In fact in almost ALL FIELDS the U.S has a wide lead over the world. 
everything that goes up must come down as well. What matters most is how a country manages its decline/fall from grace.Thats life. But it wont happen for a longggg time to come though, since U.S lead is still very large compared to any of its nearest competitors.
