Japan March exports rise 12% y-o-y: MOF

[TOKYO] Japan's exports rose 12 per cent in March from a year earlier, marking the fourth straight month of gains due to strengthening global demand, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday.

That compared with a 6.7 per cent rise expected by economists in a Reuters poll. It followed an 11.3 per cent rise in February.

Imports rose 15.8 per cent, versus the median estimate for a 10.4 per cent increase.

The trade balance came to a surplus of 614.7 billion yen (S$7.90 billion), versus the median estimate for a 575.8 billion yen surplus.

REUTERS