Japan trade deficit halves to 9.3 trillion yen in 2023 on record exports

Japan's trade deficit more than halved in 2023 to 9.29 trillion yen ($63 billion) from the previous year, as robust auto shipments to the United States lifted exports to a record high while energy imports slumped, government data showed Wednesday.The United States overtook China as the recipient of the most Japanese exports by value for the first time in four years.Exports to the United States reached 20.27 trillion yen, up 11.0 percent, while those to China totaled 17.76 trillion yen, down 6.5 percent, according to the Finance Ministry.Strong export growth helped resource-scarce Japan, hit…READ FULL ARTICLE