Japan Exports Drop the Least in 4 Months

2025-09-17 00:09 By Farida Husna 1 min. read

Japan’s exports slipped 0.1% year-on-year in August 2025, extending their decline for the fourth consecutive month but at the slowest pace in the sequence.

The latest figure beat market expectations for a 1.9% drop, offering some relief as the drag from U.S.

tariffs eased.

Exports to the U.S.

tumbled 13.8%, the fifth straight decline, weighed down by autos and chip-making machinery.

Sales also fell to China (-0.5%) and ASEAN countries (-2.8%) but rose to the EU (5.5%) and Russia (11.8%).

A late-July trade deal with Washington reduced some uncertainty, but Japanese exporters still face tariffs higher than those before the Trump era, with reciprocal 15% duties applied on key sectors such as autos and auto parts.

Automakers initially absorbed costs by cutting prices to sustain U.S.

sales, but eroding margins have since forced gradual price hikes.

Analysts warn that prolonged tariffs could erode competitiveness, limit export gains, and deter overseas investment.



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