Japan Exports Rebound on China Chipmaking Demand but Trump Tariff Risks Loom

• Japan's exports expanded faster than expected in October, led by a pick-up in chip equipment demand in China, though fears persist over potential U.S. protectionist trade policies that could hamper future shipments.
• Japanese businesses are weighing the impact of new and potentially hefty tariffs promised by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump that could disrupt international trade.
• Total exports in October rose 3.1% from a year earlier, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Wednesday, rebounding from a 1.7% drop in September and outpacing a median forecast in a Reuters poll of a 2.2% increase.
• Exports to China led the recovery with a 1.5% gain due to strong demand for chipmaking equipment, while those to the United States, Japan's largest export destination, were down 6.2% on weak auto-shipments, the data showed.
• Kazuma Kishikawa, economist at Daiwa Institute of Research, warned that global demand remains weak. "In particular, U.S.-bound shipments are likely to take months to recover as it would take time for interest rate cuts to start to lift the economy," he said.

Source: (Reuters)