Japan’s motor vehicle exports dipped last month.

Japan exported 579,502 cars, trucks and buses in May, a 0.4% decline from the year-earlier level and the first drop in 15 months, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Assn. said. The decline followed a 2.2% increase in March and a 4.5% jump in April. Officials said the sharp drop of the U.S. dollar against the yen, which makes Japanese cars more expensive in other countries, is partly responsible for the May decline.