The August figure was Japan's first monthly trade deficit in 26 years

Japan Reports Rare Trade Deficit

Japan, a nation that rode exports to become the world's second-largest economy, posted a highly unusual trade deficit in August.
It was an alarm signal for the country's already shrinking economy and yet another worrisome indicator for troubled global markets. The August figure was Japan's first monthly trade deficit in 26 years, excluding the atypical month of January, when exports here always drop for the holidays.
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