Japan faces 1st current-account deficit in 42 years if oil hits $130

Nikkei estimate reflects diminished export boost from weak yen

20220408N Oil pump

A crude-oil pump jack in the U.S. state of Texas. West Texas Intermediate futures temporarily topped $130 in early March. © Reuters

RYO SAEKI, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- Another surge in energy prices could drag Japan's current-account balance into the red on an annual basis for the first time in decades, an estimate by Nikkei shows, as costlier oil imports outweigh the export boost from a weak yen.

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