Japan back in red with July deficit of 78.7 bil. yen as exports sag

Japan's trade balance fell back into the red in July with a deficit of 78.7 billion yen ($538 million) as exports dropped for the first time in over two years, raising uncertainty over economic growth prospects, government data showed Thursday.Exports dipped 0.3 percent from a year earlier to 8.73 trillion yen as a rise in auto shipments failed to offset declines among other products like semiconductor-related equipment. Imports, meanwhile, fell 13.5 percent to 8.8 trillion yen, according to the Finance Ministry.The year-on-year fall in exports, the first since February 2021, cast a cloud o…READ FULL ARTICLE