The trade surplus dropped 30.7 percent in June from a year earlier to 846 billion yen, marking its first fall in three months as exports sputtered, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
The June trade surplus put the surplus for the January-June period at 4.38 trillion yen, down 10.1 percent from a year earlier, according to a preliminary report. The data cast a shadow over prospects for the economy, whose recovery relies on external demand.
In June alone, exports fell for the first time in 15 months, down 0.04 percent to 4.43 trillion yen. Imports rose 11.6 percent to 3.58 trillion yen for the 10th straight monthly increase.