TOKYO, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Japan recorded a trade deficit of 115.8 billion yen (about 805 million U.S. dollars) in April, marking the first monthly deficit in three months, according to figures released by the Ministry of Finance.
Exports rose 2.0 percent year-on-year to 9.16 trillion yen, while imports declined by 2.2 percent to 9.27 trillion yen. The drop in imports was largely due to falling energy prices, which reduced the value of coal and crude oil purchases.
Despite the overall growth in exports, shipments of automobiles to the United States fell 4.8 percent compared to the same period last year, ending a four-month streak of increases.
The decline was attributed in part to the recent appreciation of the yen in foreign exchange markets. However, the number of vehicles exported to the U.S. rose 11.8 percent, suggesting strong demand despite currency headwinds.
The Ministry of Finance noted that it would continue to closely monitor the impact of U.S. tariff policies. (1 Japanese yen equals about 0.007 USD) ■
