August trade statistics: imports exceed exports by over JPY 1 trillion, fourth straight monthly deficitJapan bought more from other countries than it sold to them
In the preliminary trade statistics for August 2026 (Reiwa 8) released by the Ministry of Finance, exports were JPY 10.0484 trillion, up 19.3% year on year, and imports were JPY 11.154 trillion, up 28.0%. The balance was a deficit of JPY 1.1056 trillion, the fourth consecutive monthly deficit. The average customs-clearance exchange rate was JPY 160.64 per US dollar.
- Exports
- JPY 10.0484 trillion
- - Imports
- JPY 11.154 trillion
- Balance (deficit)
- ▲JPY 1.1056 trillion
Key points
- Exports were JPY 10.0484 trillion (up 19.3% year on year), the 12th consecutive monthly increase
- Imports were JPY 11.154 trillion (up 28.0%), the 7th consecutive monthly increase
- The balance was a deficit of JPY 1.1056 trillion, the fourth consecutive monthly deficit
- The exchange rate was JPY 160.64 per dollar, a yen depreciation of 8.7% from the same month a year earlier (JPY 147.73)
What to do in practice
- If you have import purchases or foreign-currency transactions, check the difference between the settlement rate and the booking rate
- Review quotations and contract terms that are based on an exchange-rate assumption
In August, Japan sold about 10 trillion yen worth of goods to other countries and bought about 11.2 trillion yen worth from them. Because it bought more, there was a deficit of a little over 1 trillion yen. When the yen gets weaker, imported goods tend to get more expensive.
Points
- Sales to other countries were about 10 trillion yen, up 19.3% from the year before
- Purchases from other countries were about 11.2 trillion yen, up 28.0%
- One dollar became 160.64 yen, so the yen was weaker than the year before
What the words mean
- Weak yen
- When the value of the yen falls, so you need more yen to get 1 dollar
- Trade deficit
- When the amount bought from other countries is bigger than the amount sold to them
- Ministry of Finance (Customs): Customs: Latest Press Releases on Trade Statistics
- Ministry of Finance (Customs): Ministry of Finance: Summary of Trade Statistics for August 2026 (Reiwa 8), Preliminary
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