Japan’s economy expanded 0.2 percent in the last quarter of 2016, government data showed Monday, as exports and company investments propped up growth.
The figures marked the fourth straight quarter of expansion in the world’s third largest economy and came marginally lower than market expectations for 0.3 percent growth between October and December.
The data shows that Japan has enjoyed its longest expansion since September 2013.
In 2016, the Japanese economy grew 1.0 percent, after posting 1.2 percent growth the previous year, the Cabinet Office said.
But new US President Donald Trump’s protectionist rhetoric has raised concerns about Japan’s economic prospects, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe travelling to the United States last week for a summit with the billionaire politician to cement ties between the longstanding allies.
The two men played golf in Florida and stressed the cordial nature of their relations, evoking a similar outing made by the Japanese leader’s grandfather, former prime minister Nobusuke Kishi, who hit the links with former US president Dwight Eisenhower more than half-a-century ago.
Trump has previously accused Japan of devaluing the yen to boost exports, grouping it with other countries which he says are taking “advantage” of the United States.
He has also attacked Japanese automaker Toyota over its ongoing project to build a new factory in Mexico, threatening it with painful tariffs if it goes ahead.
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