Japan posted a trade surplus of JPY 17.3 billion in October 2019, shifting from a JPY 456 billion deficit the same month a year earlier but missing market expectations of a JPY 300 billion surplus. This was the first surplus in four months, as exports slumped 9.2 percent, falling for the eleventh consecutive month, while imports decreased at a faster pace of 14.8 percent, the sixth consecutive month of drop.
