Tag: Japan

Japan exports in June grew at their fastest pace since November 2022, rising 19.3% from a year earlier, powered by shipments of semiconductor equipment and a weak yen.

JPMorgan and other U.S. banks are close to agreeing to provide some financing under Japan’s $550 billion U.S. investment pledge, according to ​two people familiar with talks between the lenders and the Japanese government.

Japan’s wholesale inflation ​accelerated in June at the fastest pace in more than three years and the government brushed aside market concern over political ‌interference in monetary policy, bolstering the case for further interest rate hikes.

Iran has begun talks to sell ​oil to Japanese companies, though prospective buyers ‌are seeking a longer U.S. sanctions waiver and reassurances on safe shipping conditions in the ​Gulf, three Iranian and Western sources ​said.

Tokyo consumer price index inflation rose from a four-year low in June, with core inflation also rising amid higher energy prices stemming from the Middle East conflict.

Japan’s exports in May grew at their fastest pace since November 2022, rising 17% year on year, driven by robust demand for cars and semiconductors.

Japan’s economy lost momentum in the January-March quarter from the previous three months on sluggish capital expenditure, revised gross domestic product data showed on Monday, pointing to challenges ahead due to the Middle East conflict.

Japan will build up an extra $19 billion in reserves to subsidise fuel costs and help tackle cost of living pressures, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said on Monday, ‌while looking to assuage bond market concerns by promising no extra borrowing overall.

Japan’s core inflation eased more than expected in April to its lowest level since March 2022, potentially weakening the case for an early rate hike by the Bank of Japan.

Japan’s economy grew at an annualized 2.1% in the first quarter of 2026, surpassing analysts’ expectations, on the back of improved consumption and strong exports.

Annual core inflation in April hit a four-year low and stayed below the central bank’s 2% target for a third straight month, as fuel and education subsidies offset rising raw material costs from the Middle East conflict.

Japan’s underlying inflation rate may face stronger upward pressure from rising oil prices ‌and the yen’s declines than in the past as firms have become more active in hiking prices, the Bank of Japan said on Monday.

Japan’s headline inflation rate eased for a fourth straight month in February as the economy cooled on stabilizing food prices, with subsidies shielding consumers from rising energy prices as the conflict in Middle East rage on.

Japan’s GDP expanded more than expected in the last quarter of 2025, and household spending on goods and private services remains on track in January.

Annual core inflation in Tokyo slowed in February, running below the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for the first time in 16 months, data showed on Friday, potentially heightening friction between the central bank and the government on the future path of rate hikes.

Japan’s economy grew 0.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared with the previous three months, narrowly avoiding a technical recession.

Japan’s annual wholesale inflation slowed for a second consecutive month in January but yen-based import costs rose, highlighting the impact of a weak yen on prices and monetary policy.

Japanese stocks jumped to record levels after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s landslide win in a snap general election as investors bet on her vision of a “strong and prosperous” nation.

Core inflation in Japan’s capital slowed to a 15-month low in January due to the effects of gasoline subsidies and easing price pressure on food, data showed on Friday, a sign consumers were getting some respite from the rising cost of living.

Japan’s central bank on Friday raised economic growth forecasts while holding its key policy rate at 0.75% as the country prepares to go into an election.