Japan’s Exports Rise Most in Three Years as AI Underpins Chips

Japan’s exports rose at the fastest clip in more than three years as demand for chips related to artificial intelligence offset sluggish car shipments to the US, in data that were helped somewhat by the Lunar New Year effect.

The value of overall exports gained 16.8% in January from a year earlier, the sharpest increase since November 2022, the Finance Ministry reported Wednesday. That beat the median analyst forecast of a 13% rise. Overall shipments of semiconductors and other electronic components rose by almost 40%, led by a 51.7% jump in those exports destined for China.