Japan Trade Surplus Now Up 44.1% Compared to Year Ago

Japan’s trade surplus rose 44.1% in April, continuing its climb from year-earlier levels for the 28th consecutive month, the Finance Ministry said Tuesday.

The ministry attributed the wider surplus to the slow increase in Japan’s purchases abroad, reflecting the nation’s economic slump.

The continued widening of the surplus comes as the Clinton Administration is considering setting targets for Japanese purchases of U.S. goods in an effort to narrow the imbalance.

Japan has opposed any efforts to dictate what it should buy.

Its global surplus totaled $10.25 billion, as imports rose 1.7% to $20.43 billion while exports grew 12.8% to $30.68 billion.

Japan’s surplus with the United States rose 22.6% from a year earlier, to $4.03 billion, the ministry said.

Its exports to the United States rose 13.9% to $8.59 billion, while imports of U.S. products increased 7.2% to $4.56 billion.

Japan’s exports to the United States included $1.92 billion of passenger cars, trucks and buses, up 14.5%; $1.90 billion of electric appliances, including communication equipment and electronic parts, up 15.4%, and $1.09 billion of office machinery, up 19.3%.

The Finance Ministry said Japan’s trade surplus with the European Community fell 6.4% to $2.62 billion, while its surplus with Asian nations surged 78.2% to $4.71 billion.