Quarterly Review
In Brief: Understanding the Rising Japanese Trade Surplus
Spring 1994Volume 19, Number 1

Author: Thomas Klitgaard

Intuition suggests that a strengthening of the yen should moderate Japan's trade surplus by reducing the price competitiveness of Japanese goods. Yet the Japanese merchandise trade surplus more than doubled from 1990 to 1993 while the yen appreciated roughly 30 percent against the dollar. This article shows how a sequence of increases in the yen's value repeatedly pushed the trade surplus higher, delaying the downward adjustment that eventually results from a yen appreciation. Once the yen stabilizes, the author suggests, the surplus should fall significantly.

PDF full articlePDF4 pages / 252 kb
tools
Related New York Fed Content
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement. You can learn more about how we use cookies by reviewing our Privacy Statement.   Close