-
Japan Exports Fall for Second Month as Global Demand Weakens
Japan’s exports fell for the second consecutive month in further signs of a global slowdown, a worrying development for Japan’s foreign-demand dependent economy. The value of exports decreased 0.8% in August from a year earlier, led by slumps in mineral fuel and chip-making machinery, the finance ministry reported Wednesday. Economists had forecast a 2.1% decline. Japan’s exports saw their first drop in more than two years in the previous month. They also slipped on a month-on-month basis in the latest data. The slide in exports bodes ill for the economy as consumers and businesses pare back spending at home to ... (full story)