Japan finance minister Suzuki says strong trend of wage hikes happening now

Japan finance minister Suzuki

• Strong trend of wage hikes happening now
• This year’s wage hikes to outpace last year’s
• Govt to mobilise all policy steps available to continue the wave of
  wage hikes
• Specific monetary
  policy up to BOJ to decide
• Won’t comment on any
  BOJ policy steps to be taken next week
• Japan is no longer
  in deflation

Suzuki can talk away all he likes, we really need to hear from Ueda. The Bank of Japan Governor will hand down the board’s decision next Tuesday sometime after 0230 GMT.

Suzuki saying “Japan is no longer in deflation” indicates a BoJ policy tightening could be justified. But Ueda has disappointed on that front time and time again.

This article was written by Eamonn Sheridan at www.forexlive.com.