Japan’s trade account returns to deficit

TOKYO: Japan swung back to a trade deficit in April after the first surplus in almost three years in March, but the shortfall shrank drastically year-on-year thanks to stronger exports and lower energy bills, official data showed Monday.
The monthly deficit came in at 53.4 billion yen ($440 million), about one-15th of the 825.5 billion yen posted a year earlier, finance ministry data showed.
Exports rose 8.0 percent year-on-year chiefly on robust shipments of cars, electronics components and machinery as the yen was 17 percent cheaper against the dollar than last year.
Imports dropped 4.2 percent as the cost of oil and gas fell.
By region, US-bound shipments soared 21.4 percent, far outpacing a 2.4 percent increase in exports to China and a 0.8 percent rise in exports to the European Union.