TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s exports rose 20% in November from a year earlier but imports outpaced shipments, resulting in a 16th straight month of trade deficits, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Thursday.
The rise in exports matched a 19.8% gain expected by economists in a Reuters poll. It followed a 25.3% gain in October.
Imports rose 30.3% in the year to November, versus the median estimate for a 27.0% increase expected by economists and a 53.5% jump in October.
As a result, the trade balance came to a deficit of 2.03 trillion yen ($15.00 billion), versus the median estimate for a 1.68 trillion yen shortfall.
For the tables, go to the MOF website:
http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/info/index_e.htm
($1 = 135.3500 yen)
(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
