Japan trade deficit widens sharply in October's first 20 days

Japan ran a trade deficit of ¥810.4 billion in the first 20 days of October, nearly four times the ¥216.6 billion deficit of a year earlier, as imports rose 32.4 percent year on year to ¥8,125.1 billion against exports up 23.5 percent to ¥7,314.7 billion, Japan Customs' provisional figures show.

Why it matters: Imports growing nine points faster than exports at the start of the fourth quarter points to strong domestic demand and energy import costs, and a widening deficit is a headwind for the yen at a moment when the Bank of Japan is weighing the pace of further rate rises.

Data as of Japan Customs release of November 10, 2026, 8:50 a.m. Japan time, read in full via the estate browser route and cross-checked against the release's own data file, which agrees exactly; all figures provisional, in millions of yen as published. Developing item.

Japan’s trade deficit widened to ¥810,433 million in the first 20 days of October 2026, from ¥216,629 million in the same period a year earlier, according to provisional figures released by Japan Customs on November 10. Exports rose 23.5 percent year on year to ¥7,314,664 million, but imports rose faster, up 32.4 percent to ¥8,125,097 million. The release publishes totals only, with no breakdown by partner or commodity, so the drivers of the import surge cannot be separated from this release alone.

Japan trade deficit widens sharply in October's first 20 days

Sources