Japan's customs-cleared trade surplus fell 41.6 percent in April from a year earlier to 665.9 billion yen, the Finance Ministry said Monday in a preliminary report.

April's fall was the 10th consecutive month of decline in the trade surplus, according to the report.

Due to the U.S. economic slowdown, which has affected global demand, Japanese exports in April declined in value and volume, prompting the government to maintain its vigilance regarding export trends, a ministry official said.