Japan March exports fall 2.4 pct year/year - MOF

 TOKYO: Japan's exports fell 2.4 percent in March from a year earlier, down for a fourth straight month, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Wednesday.

That compared with a 2.7 percent drop seen by economists in a Reuters poll and followed a 1.2 percent fall in February.

Imports rose 1.1 percent in the year to March, versus the median estimate for a 2.6 percent increase.

The trade balance came to a surplus of 528.5 billion yen ($4.72 billion), versus the median estimate for a 372.2 billion yen surplus.