Japan exports up for 2nd month on China-bound shipment growth

TOKYO -- Japan's exports rose for the second straight month in January, pushed up by growth in China-bound shipments. The figures followed the recent release of preliminary gross domestic product data that showed the economy fell into a technical recession in the final quarter of 2023.

Overseas shipments rose 11.9%, year on year, according to preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance released Wednesday. Imports fell 9.6%, resulting in a monthly trade deficit of 1.758 trillion yen ($11.72 billion).