Japan's exports plunged 11.1% in 2020 from the previous year, marking the largest fall in 11 years, as the COVID-19 pandemic battered global demand for industrial products such as cars, government data showed Thursday.
The annual drop was the sharpest since a 33.1% dive logged in 2009, in the wake of the global financial crisis, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry. Exports in 2020 stood at ¥68.41 trillion ($660 billion), their lowest level since ¥63.75 trillion in 2012.
By item, the nation's car exports plummeted 20.0% from 2019, and those of auto parts declined 19.1%.