Japan April exports fall 2.4pc year/year: MOF

TOKYO: Japan's exports fell 2.4pc in April from a year earlier, down for a fifth straight month, in a sign of weakness in external demand, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Wednesday.

That compared with a 1.8pc decrease expected by economists in a Reuters poll.

It followed a 2.4pc fall in March.

Imports rose 6.4pc in the year to April, versus the median estimate for a 4.8pc increase.

The trade balance came to a surplus of 60.4 billion yen ($546 million), versus the median estimate for a 203.2 billion yen surplus.