The following is the unedited transcript of the news release from the Ministry of Finance, Japan.


Japan’s Ministry of Finance reported today that the country’s exports declined 45.6% to 4.18 trillion yen from a year ago, dropping for the sixth month in a row as global trade shrinks led by financial frauds and reckless lending in the U.S.

Imports declined 36.7% to 4.17 trillion yen, yielding a trade surplus of 11 billion yen.

The shipments to the U.S. and China, the two largest trading partners, declined but at a slower pace than in February. Exports to U.S. declined at 51.4% after falling at 58.4% in February and to China dropped at 31.5% after declining at 39.7% in February.

Japan registered its first trade deficit in 28 years of 725 billion yen in the year ended March 31. Trade surplus between the years 2004 and 2007 have been between 7 trillion yen and 11 trillion yen.


Available at:

http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/shinbun/trade-st_e/2009/200903ce.xml