Japan's exports fell 12.9% in January from a year earlier to mark a fourth straight month of declines, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday, in a sign of weakness in external demand amid a China-led global slowdown.
The fall compared with the median estimate of an 11.3% decrease in a Reuters poll of economists. It followed an 8.0% drop in December.
Imports fell 18.0% in the year to January, versus the median estimate of a 16.0% decrease. The trade balance swung to a deficit of 645.9 billion yen ($5.7 billion), against the median estimate of a 680.2 yen billion yen shortfall.