Japan's exports expand for third straight month, U.S. shipments rebound

Group 1 - Japan's exports increased by 6.1% year-on-year in November, surpassing market expectations of a 4.8% rise, following a 3.6% increase in October [1] - Exports to the United States rose by 8.8% in November, marking the first increase in eight months, while exports to China decreased by 2.4% [2] - Japan recorded a trade surplus of 322.3 billion yen ($2.08 billion) in November, significantly higher than the forecast of 71.2 billion yen [2] Group 2 - Japan's economy contracted in the third quarter due to declining exports influenced by U.S. tariffs, but analysts anticipate a rebound in growth for the current quarter [3] - The impact of higher tariffs was less severe than expected, as Japanese exporters managed to absorb the costs, supported by a weaker yen [3] - A trade agreement between the U.S. and Japan, formalized in September, reduced tariffs on U.S. imports from Japan, contributing to improved market sentiment [4] Group 3 - The Bank of Japan (BOJ) is expected to raise its short-term policy rate to 0.75% from 0.5% in the near term, although the future pace of rate hikes remains uncertain [5] - A recent survey indicated that business sentiment among large Japanese manufacturers reached a four-year high in the three months leading to December [4]