INTERNATIONAL

Japan Trade Surplus Plunges More Than 50%: Analysts said the gap is likely to continue to shrink as reconstruction after last month’s earthquake sucks in imports. “A recovery of the economy is also causing imports to rise,” said economist Hidehiro Iwaki at Nomura Research Institute. Furthermore, the high yen was stimulating cheap imports, particularly from Asia, he added. The trade surplus fell to $2.88 billion in January from $6.03 billion a year earlier. But the drop was not likely to stem U.S. criticism of Japanese trade practices, as the surplus with the United States rose to $3.19 billion from $3.09 billion a year earlier.