Japan’s imports continued to rise at a robust pace in August 2026, with year-on-year growth ticking up to 28.0%, according to data updated on 15 September 2026. This marks a slight acceleration from July 2026, when imports had already recorded a strong 27.8% increase compared with the same month a year earlier.
The figures indicate that the country’s import momentum remains firmly positive, as both July and August showed sizable gains on a year-over-year basis. The “previous” indicator reflects July’s change against July of the prior year, while the “actual” August reading compares imports with August of the previous year, underscoring a sustained upward trend over consecutive months.
Although the incremental move from 27.8% to 28.0% is modest, it highlights continued strength in Japan’s external demand or pricing environment for imported goods as of late summer 2026, with no sign of a slowdown in the pace of annual import growth between July and August.
