Foreign trade

Japan’s exports collapse

A drop of almost 13 percent in January: The Japanese export industry is shrinking as recently as during the financial crisis – bad news for the entire economy.

Japanese exports in January slumped last seen during the financial crisis in 2009. The weaker demand from China and other major markets have to a decrease of 12.9 percent compared to the previous year resulted, according to the Ministry of Finance on Thursday. Analysts had only with a fall of 11.3 per cent is expected. It was the fourth decrease in a row, caused mainly by lower exports of steel and oil products.

So to summarize, the indications of a weakness in world trade: The Chinese export goods at the beginning of the year, with 11.2 percent, similar to decreased. The export-dependent German economy, it’s bad news. The Federal government expects this year with a growth of 3.2 percent to 5.4 percent in 2015.

Data Stoke Worries

However, it could be the export data from the two largest economies in Asia will also be distorted. Because the new year festival in the people’s Republic of this time was earlier than last year, and celebrated. In many companies, it is then not worked. Alone to China – the largest trading partner of Japan – were 17.5% less Were delivered.

The most recent data stir up because Worrying about the state of the Japanese economy. In the fourth quarter shrank the third largest economy behind the US and China, with an annual rate of 1.4 percent. Analysts anticipate the beginning of the year, at best, with a slight growth. “As exports poorly, we cannot expect that the growth in the current quarter drive,” said the chief economist of the research Institute Norinchukin, Takeshi Minami. To boost lending had the Central Bank in January, penalty interest for commercial banks was introduced, the Zentralbankgelder hoarding rather than lending to the economy continued to submit.

ul/wen (rtr)