Japanese cross-border claims on European countries hit all-time high

Loans to entities in developed European countries outpace those to other western nations in Q1 2018

Cross-border lending to European countries by Japanese banks outpaced lending to other western nations in the first quarter of 2018, reaching a record high of $815 billion at end-March.

Total cross-border claims grew by $125 billion in the three months to March 31, to $3.14 trillion. Claims on entities in developed European countries rose by $64 billion, or 8.6%, to $815 billion, while claims on firms in the US, Australia, Canada and New Zealand increased just $24 billion, or 1.8%, to $1.32