July 23, 1999
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| July 23, 1999 | atimes.com | |
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| Japan Overall trade surplus falls 7.9% in first half TOKYO - Japan's trade surplus slid 7.9% to 6.05 trillion yen in the January-June period, the first fall in five terms on a half-year basis, the Ministry of Finance said in a preliminary report Thursday. The surplus with the U.S., however, rose by 4.2%, the sixth straight term of increase. Overall exports totaled 23.02 trillion yen, down 8.9% and the second consecutive term of decline. Exports of office equipment and automobiles fell. Steel shipments to the U.S. plunged 52.5%. Imports also decreased for the third straight term, falling 9.2% to 16.97 trillion yen. Meanwhile, the June trade surplus dropped 2.9% from a year earlier to 1.17 trillion yen, for the third straight month of decline. The fall was mainly attributed to a drop in exports, with shipments of steel to the U.S. plunging 59.2%. The sensitive trade surplus with the U.S. rose for the second month in a row, by 18.2% to 655 billion yen, on a 22% drop in Japanese imports from the U.S. Overall exports slid 5.8% to 4.09 trillion yen, marking the ninth straight month of decline. Exports of office equipment and automobiles declined. Imports also posted a 6.9% decline to 2.91 trillion yen, the 18th straight month of decrease. Declines were conspicuous for imports of liquefied natural gas and aircraft. The trade surplus with the rest of Asia marked its first increase in five months, up 6.5%. Behind the gain was a 2.3% increase in exports, reflecting signs of economic recovery in the region. Japan's trade surplus with the European Union shrank 19.1%. (Asia Pulse/Nikkei) | |||||||||
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