Robust Chinese demand lifts Japanese exports to ninth monthly increase in July

Robust demand from China for Japanese machinery and electrical equipment led to an increase in Japanese exports to China for a ninth consecutive month in July, according to official data on Thursday.

In July, Japanese exports to China surged 17.6 percent yearon- year to more than 1.2 trillion yen ($ 10.89 billion), further extending an eight- month rise, data released by the Japanese Ministry of Finance showed.

Japan’s exports of machinery and electrical equipment to China, which together account for nearly 45 percent of the total exports to China, saw double- digit growth in the month, the data showed. Exports of machinery to China, including power generating machines and computers, rose 18.6 percent year- on- year, while electrical equipment such as semiconductors and integrated circuits saw a 15.8 percent rise year- on- year, the data showed.

The robust demand from China for Japanese electrical equipment, particularly for semiconductors, integrated circuits and electrical apparatus, is in line with China’s efforts to upgrade domestic industries under its “Made in China 2025” policy, according to Sang Baichuan, director of the Institute of International Business at the University of Internation- al Business and Economics.

“China’s imports of Japanese electrical equipment will enhance the transformation of industrial capabilities, especially in the consumer products industry,” Sang told the Global Times on Thursday.

Sang added that given the complementary nature of the two countries’ bilateral trade, Chinese imports of Japanese products are likely to remain stable.

The demand from China and strong auto exports to the US helped Japan’s total exports to rise for an eighth month in a row, according to media reports. Total exports increased 13.4 percent in July from a year earlier, the official data showed.