日本1月份貿易赤字過去最大

Recently the FNN News on-line reported the following:

1月貿易収支、過去最大の赤字　菅長官、輸出持ち直しへ期待感

1月の貿易収支は、円安で燃料の輸入が膨らんだことなどから、2兆7,900億円の赤字だった。1カ月としては過去最大となる。
財務省が発表した1月の貿易統計によると、輸出は、アメリカ向けの自動車などが増えたことから、前の年の同じ月に比べて、9.5%増え、5兆2,529億円だった。
一方、輸入は、円安で火力発電用の燃料などが膨らみ、25%増の8兆429億円だった。
輸出から輸入を差し引いた貿易収支は、2兆7,900億円の赤字で、1カ月としては、過去最大の赤字となった。
貿易赤字は、19カ月連続となる。
菅官房長官は「(1月は)1年のうち、最も輸出額が少なくなる傾向にある」と述べた。
菅官房長官は、海外景気が底堅く、今後は円安を背景に、輸出が持ち直しに向かうとの期待感を示した。

(試譯文)

The trade balance for January, because of an increase in the amount of fuel imported caused by the cheap yen, stood at 2,790 billion yen in the red. It became the highest figure ever in one single month.

According to the foreign trade statistics in January which the Ministry of Finance had announced, in export, the number of cars etc. to the U.S. had increased. Compared with the same month of the previous year there was a 9.5% increase and the amount was 5,252,900 million yen.

On the other hand in import, with a weak yen, the fuel for thermal power generation etc. had increased and the amount of import was 8,042,900 million yen, being an increase of 25%.

The trade balance of deducting import from export was 2,790 billion yen in the red, and became the highest ever in red for one single month.

The trade deficit had being continuing for 19 months.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga said "(in January) there is a tendency for export value to drop every year".

Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga showed the hope that with a steady overseas business and against the background of a weak yen, exports would move towards a recovery from now on.

     It seems that Japan is quite optimistic in its foreign trade performance, even if it has a deficit for 19 months in a row.