Exports Up 40% In April; Trade Surplus Soars

The Ministry of Finance announced that Japan's trade surplus in April was 742.3 billion yen compared to 48.9 billion yen in the same month a year earlier. Japan's exports rose 40.4% in April compared to a year earlier on strong overseas demand for Japanese cars and electrical parts. Exports to Europe were strong, up by 19.8%; exports to the US gained 34.5% and those to Asia climbed 45.3%.