Tokyo

JAPAN logged a surplus in its merchandise trade for the first time in nearly three years last month, as export values rose and those of imports declined, giving what analysts said was a welcome shot in the arm to Abenomics and pushing the Nikkei 225 stock index up to a 15-year high on Wednesday.

Although the trade balance may hover between small surpluses and deficits in coming months, the return to the black in March reported by the Ministry of Finance indicated that the world's third largest economy may be turning the corner after a recent run of disappointing data.