Japan's exports rose 16.7% year on year in September, the 13th straight monthly gain, driven by strong demand for semiconductors and AI-related products, according to the Ministry of Finance. Exports to the United States rose 22.9% and to China 8.6%, though overall growth fell short of the 20.1% median forecast. Imports rose 18.9%, slower than August's 28% as tankers rerouted away from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait delayed crude oil deliveries. The trade deficit narrowed to 536.6 billion yen from 1.1 trillion yen in August, better than a forecast deficit of 181 billion yen. Markets are now watching the Bank of Japan's October meeting for clues on the timing of its next rate hike.
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Related tickers and likely impact
USD/JPY
▼ Likely negativeRelevance: low
| Market | Currencies |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/20/2026 | 158.173 |
| Change that session | -0.23% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
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