Japan’s exports rise and imports decline in September as auto shipments to US and Europe climb

TOKYO (AP) — Japan has reported its exports climbed 4.3% in September from a year earlier while imports sank 16.3%, leaving a positive balance of 62.4 trillion yen ($410 billion), the first monthly trade surplus in three months. Provisional customs data released Thursday showed strong exports of vehicles and machinery. In Japan’s fiscal first half, from April-September, exports edged up just 1.4% from a year earlier, to a record 50.2 trillion yen ($330 billion) while the trade deficit shrank by three-quarters to 2.7 trillion yen ($18 billion). Economists said the drop in imports was mainly due to base effects. Trade with the rest of Asia has weakened in the past half-year, while shipments to the U.S. and Europe rose.