Japan's September Trade Deficit Widens Well Beyond Forecasts
Japan's September trade deficit was 536.6 billion yen against a forecast of 181.0 billion. Exports rose 16.7% year on year and imports 18.9%, both below expectations.
- published on Newsmetry
- original source published
the public page opens no earlier than 15 minutes after we detect the story. approved stories may reach the api sooner. connect the api →
what happened
Japan's Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday that the country recorded a merchandise trade deficit of 536.6 billion yen in September, data reported by TradingView shows. Analysts had expected a shortfall of 181.0 billion yen, while the gap in August stood at 1,111.9 billion yen.
Exports rose 16.7% from a year earlier to 10.972 trillion yen, short of the 20.1% increase that was expected and slower than the 19.3% gain in the previous month. Imports climbed 18.9% to 11.508 trillion yen, against a forecast rise of 19.6% and down from 28.0% a month earlier.
why it matters
A wider gap than expected means imports kept outpacing exports even as shipments abroad grew. For markets, the figures add pressure on the yen, which makes them relevant for USD/JPY and for the outlook for Bank of Japan policy.
market impact
Yen and USD/JPY: a wider deficit can add pressure on the Japanese currency.
tags
instruments
sources
- Japan September Trade Shortfall Y536.6 Billion — TradingView, 21 October 2026 at 00:11 UTC
prepared by the newsmetry newsroom with ai assistance from the sources listed below. not investment advice.
the public page opens no earlier than 15 minutes after we detect the story. approved stories may reach the api sooner.
get stories in real time ↗