Japan exports rise 7.3% year/year in March

A cargo ship and containers are seen at an industrial port in Tokyo, Japan, February 15, 2022. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/ File Photo
TOKYO : Japan's exports grew 7.3 per cent year-on-year in March, up for the fourth straight month, Ministry of Finance data showed on Wednesday.
The reading compared with a 7.0 per cent increase seen in a Reuters poll of economists and followed a 7.8 per cent gain in the previous month.
Imports fell 4.9 per cent in the year to March, versus a decline of 4.7 per cent expected and a 0.5 per cent gain in February.
As a result, the trade balance stood at a surplus of 366.5 billion yen ($2.37 billion), compared with the forecast of 299.9 billion yen.