Japan's trade surplus for the first half of fiscal 2003 slipped 0.8 percent from the same period last year, marking its first fall in two years.

Exports to China and other parts of Asia recorded robust growth despite the SARS outbreak, but it was slightly overwhelmed by a rise in petroleum imports, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

Demand for crude oil, liquefied natural gas and petroleum-related products -- all used to generate electricity -- soared ahead of the summer after Tokyo Electric Power Co. shut down all of its nuclear power plants for inspections following a defect-coverup scandal.