Japan's September 8 Economic Update: Are Rising Import Costs Squeezing Incomes?

Japan reports updated economic growth figures for April–June 2026 on September 8 at 8:50 AM JST. The first reading showed import prices climbing 4.9% while export prices rose only 3.4% — meaning Japan pays more for what it buys abroad than it earns selling, squeezing household incomes. Whether this gap holds will shape Japan's inflation debate.