USD/JPY has edged higher on Wednesday. In the North American session, the pair is trading at 110.32, down 0.28% on the day. On the release front, there are no Japanese indicators. In the U.S., the trade deficit narrowed to $51.1 billion, better than expected. On Thursday, the U.S. releases Final GDP and unemployment claims. Japan will publish Tokyo Core CPI and retail sales.
The nasty trade war between the U.S. and China has hit Japan hard, as both countries are major trading partners with Japan. The weaker global climate has resulted in weaker demand for Japanese exports, and there are growing concerns that the fragile economy could be heading for a recession. Earlier in the week, the BoJ released the summary of opinions from the March policy meeting. Policymakers debated whether to ramp up stimulus in order to boost growth. Inflation levels remain sluggish, and the scheduled tax hike in October, which is certain weigh on growth, poses another headache for policymakers.
Japan’s economy remains fragile, with exports down due to the global trade war. BoJ policymakers remain nervous, and the summary of opinions from the March policy meeting indicated that members debated whether to ramp up stimulus in order to boost the economy. There are concerns that the economy could be heading towards a recession, given the weak global climate and the tax hike scheduled for October.
