Japan's economy shows weakness as exports fall again

Japan's exports fell again in September, adding to the weak trend in Japanese economic indicators recently.

Today, the Finance Ministry reported that Japan had a trade deficit of 558.6 billion yen in September after exports fell 10.3 percent from a year earlier while imports rose 4.1 percent.

It was the fourth consecutive year-on-year decline in exports, the third consecutive monthly trade deficit and the first trade deficit for the month of September since 1979.

Exports to the economically-troubled European Union dived 21.1 percent.

Exports to China, with whom a territorial dispute has recently flared, fell 14.1 percent.

Exports to the United States managed to rise, albeit by just 0.9 percent.

The latest weak trade figures followed a report last Friday showing that the coincident index of economic indicators fell to 93.5 in August from 93.8 in July, the fifth consecutive monthly decline.

The leading index did edge up to 93.2 in August from 93.0 in July, though, after having declined for the previous four consecutive months.

The broad trend in Japan's economic indicators, though, remains clearly down.