(Bloomberg) Japan’s economy is likely to contract yet again this quarter after a surprise contraction at the end of 2023 showcased its stagnation, creating a headache for the Bank of Japan, according to a top economic forecaster. Most Read from BloombergIsrael Quits Peace Talks Over ‘Delusional’ Hamas DemandsThe Brutal Reality of Plunging Office Values Is HereJapan Loses Its Spot as World's Third-Largest Economy as It Slips Into RecessionDip Buyers Wade Back In to Fuel Wall Street Gains: Mark
(Bloomberg) Japan’s factory output rebounded in December, offering further evidence that the sputtering economy has returned to growth, potentially removing a hurdle for the Bank of Japan as it mulls the timing of a likely interest rate hike.Most Read from BloombergMusk Pay Package Voided, Threatening World’s Biggest FortuneMusk Says First Neuralink Patient Received Implant in BrainTech Giants Slide in Late Trading After Earnings: Markets WrapUPS CEO Kicks Off Productivity Drive by Cutting 12
Japan's exports fell slightly in November from a year earlier, the first decline in three months, while imports were down nearly 12%, the government reported Wednesday. Tepid global demand has been a drag on Japan’s economy, which depends heavily on export manufacturing. Recent weakness of the Japanese yen against the dollar has meanwhile undercut its purchasing power for imports, though costs for oil and gas have fallen with a decline in oil prices since September.
Japan Exports Growth: Exports rose 1.6% in October from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday, faster than a 1.2% increase expected by economists in a Reuters poll but slower than the 4.3% rise in September. "With China s economy crawling at the bottom and demand from the United States and Europe slowing, we need to wait until the middle of next year for exports to bottom out," said Atsushi Takeda, chief economist at Itochu Economic Research Institute.