Recently NHK New on-line reported the following:
かつての輸出立国がなぜ? 去年の貿易赤字19.9兆円で過去最大に
(1/2)
2023年1月19日 16時57分
財務省が発表した去年1年間の貿易統計は、原油などエネルギー価格の上昇や記録的な円安の影響で輸入額が膨らんだことから、過去最大の貿易赤字となりました。
去年1年間の貿易統計で、輸出から輸入を差し引いた貿易収支は19兆9713億円の赤字となりました。
赤字額は前の年（2021年）よりも18兆円余り増えて、1年間の貿易赤字としては、比較が可能な1979年以降で過去最大となりました。これまで最大だった2014年の赤字額よりも7兆円以上拡大しています。
ウクライナ情勢を背景に原油やLNG＝液化天然ガスといったエネルギー資源などの価格が上昇したことに加えて、一時1ドル＝150円を超える水準となった記録的な円安の影響で、輸入額が大幅に膨らみました。
去年1年間の輸入額は、118兆1573億円と前の年よりも39.2％増え、輸出額は98兆1860億円で18.2％増えています。
輸入額、輸出額ともに過去最大ですが、アメリカ向けの自動車などの輸出が増えたものの輸入額の伸びがそれを大きく上回っています。
一方、先月の貿易収支は、1兆4485億円の赤字となりました。去年8月以降、2兆円を超えていた赤字額は、5か月ぶりに1兆円台となりましたが、貿易赤字は1年5か月にわたって続いています。
中小の製造業 仕入れ価格の高騰に直面
貿易赤字が膨らんだ原因は、円安などを背景とした輸入物価の上昇です。
その影響で中小の製造業の中には過去に例のないほどの仕入れ価格の高騰に直面している企業もあります。
製造業などの中小企業が多く立地する東京 大田区。
ここに工場がある従業員40人余りの金属加工メーカーは、この1年、仕入れ価格の高騰に悩まされてきました。
海外から輸入する石炭などの価格上昇で卸売業者から仕入れる鉄鋼の仕入れ価格は去年4月から7月にかけて30％以上、上がりました。さらに電気代などの上昇もあって1か月の固定費は前の年に比べて100万円以上増えたということです。
このままでは経営が立ちゆかなくなるとして取引先の自動車メーカーと交渉した結果、去年10月からは、主力製品の卸価格を引き上げることができました。
また、急速な円安から一転して為替が円高方向に値を戻したこともあって去年の秋以降、鉄鋼の仕入れ価格の上昇は一服したということで、最も厳しい時期は脱することができたと考えています。
ただ、先行きには不安もあります。
さらに円高が進んだり海外経済が一段と減速したりして出荷先の自動車メーカーの輸出に影響が及べば部品の受注が減るおそれがあります。
金属加工メーカーの石渡良平工場長は、「受注自体は好調が続いているので、この先の見通しとしては明るい印象だ。ただ、円高基調になってくるとうちが受注できる数量にも影響してくるのでそこの見通しが難しい」と話していました。
(to be continued)
Translation
Last year's trade statistics released by the Ministry of Finance showed the largest trade deficit in history due to the increase in imports because of a rise in energy prices such as crude oil and also a record depreciation of the yen.
According to trade statistics for the past year, the balance of trade, which was calculated by subtracting imports from exports, was a deficit of 19.9713 trillion yen.
The deficit increased by more than 18 trillion yen from the previous year (2021), making it the largest single-year trade deficit since 1979 when comparisons are possible. This was more than 7 trillion yen larger than the deficit in 2014, which had been the largest so far.
In addition to the rise in the prices of energy resources such as crude oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas) against the backdrop of the situation in Ukraine, the record depreciation of the yen, which at one point exceeded 150 yen to one dollar, caused imports to swell up significantly.
The import value last year was 118.1573 trillion yen, an increase of 39.2% from the previous year, and the export value was 98.186 trillion yen, an increase of 18.2%.
Both the import value and the export value were the highest ever, although the export of automobiles to the United States had increased, the increase in the import value greatly exceeded that.
On the other hand, last month's trade balance was a deficit of 1,448.5 billion yen. The deficit, which had exceeded 2 trillion yen since August last year, fell to the 1 trillion yen level for the first time in five months, but the trade deficit had continued for 1 year and 5 months.
Small and medium-sized manufacturers face soaring
purchase prices
The reason for the swelling trade deficit was the rise in
import prices against the background of the depreciation of the yen.
As a result, some small and medium-sized manufacturing
companies were facing an unprecedented surge in cost prices.
Ota-ku in Tokyo was a place where many small and medium-sized
enterprises such as manufacturers were located.
Over the past year, here a factory of metalwork maker that has 40-plus-employee had been plagued by soaring purchase prices.
The purchase price of steel purchased from local wholesalers rose by more than 30% from April to July last year due to rising prices of coal imported from overseas. In addition, due to the increase in electricity bills, monthly fixed costs increased by more than 1 million yen compared to the previous year.
If this situation continued, the management would not be able to continue, and as a result of negotiating with client automakers, the management was able to raise the wholesale prices of the main products from October last year.
In addition, the rapid depreciation of the yen had turned around, and the exchange rate returned to the direction of a strong yen since last autumn. The rise in the purchase price of steel had come to a halt, it was believed the toughest times had passed.
However, there were concerns about the future.
Furthermore, if the appreciation of the yen progressed or the overseas economy slowed down further, the exports of automakers to which the products were shipped could be affected, there was a risk that orders for parts could decrease.
Ryohei Ishiwatari (石渡良平), a plant manager of a metal processing manufacturer, said, "Orders are continuing to be strong, so impressions on the outlook for the future is bright. However, the strong yen will affect the number of orders we can receive and for that the outlook could be difficult."
(to be continued)
沒有留言:
張貼留言