Japan Posts 24th Straight Month of Trade Deficits

Japan on Thursday posted its 24th straight month of trade deficits, as imports continued to increase and exports unexpectedly fell. The trade gap reached a record $75 billion for the first half of the year, suggesting efforts to boost exports by weakening the currency are not working. Exports have also struggled since many Japanese companies have shifted their production overseas, where costs are lower. Worsening the trade deficit, Japan has had to rely on costly energy imports...

© La Voix de l'Amérique - jeudi 24 juillet 2014