By AKANE VALLERY UCHIDA
February 22, 2008
TOKYO — Japan had a trade deficit for the first time in a year during January because of high oil prices, while exports to the U.S. declined, adding to worries about the world’s second-largest economy.
The Ministry of Finance said the trade deficit came to 79.3 billion yen ($733 million) in January, much larger than the 5.6 billion yen deficit forecast on average by economists surveyed by Dow Jones and Nikkei.
Separately, data from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that Japan’s economic activity fell 0.2% in December from November because of continuing weakness in the construction sector.
The large trade deficit and weakened domestic economic activity come as other economic data show increasing signs of a slowdown in Japan’s six-year-old economic recovery. Officials, such as Economy Minister Hiroko Ota, these days frequently voice caution over the growing downside risks to the economy.
Behind the trade balance’s move into the red was the ballooning import bill from record oil prices. Total imports in January rose 9% year-to-year. Exports were up 7.7%, but analysts said the growth has lost momentum, suggesting external demand may be weakening.
Meanwhile, the trade ministry’s all-industries index, considered a close approximation for gross domestic product as measured by industrial- and service-sector output, stood at 107.2 in December, down from 107.4 in November and the second consecutive month of decline.
–Tomoyuki Tachikawa and Takashi Mochizuki contributed to this article.
Write to Akane Vallery Uchida at [email protected]
This website and sisters royaldutchshellplc.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
