TRADE

Tokyo Says Trade Surplus Up in November: Japan’s trade surplus grew nearly 50% in November from a year earlier, the government said, and economists predicted that the gap would continue to widen as long as an economic slowdown suppressed imports. The Ministry of Finance said Japan’s $10.45-billion surplus in the current account--the broadest measure of trade in goods and services--was the largest ever for the month of November, although still below the record $13.80 billion seen in March, 1992. A year ago in November, the surplus was $7.05 billion.