TOKYO, 18th June, 2025 (WAM) -- Japan logged 637.6 billion yen ($4.4 billion) trade deficit in May, with US-bound auto shipments dropping sharply, government data showed Wednesday.
The trade balance remained in the red for the second straight month, as overall exports fell 1.7 percent from a year earlier to 8.13 trillion yen, marking the first drop in eight months, weighed down by an 11.1 percent fall in shipments to the United States, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.
Imports dropped 7.7 percent to 8.77 trillion yen, down for the second straight month, according to Kyodo News.
By region, Japan had a 451.7 billion yen trade surplus with the United States, down 4.7 percent from the previous year. US-bound automobiles tumbled 24.7 percent in value terms.
With China, Japan remained in the red for the 50th consecutive month, logging a deficit of 624.9 billion yen in the reporting month.