Some Bank of Japan policymakers said exports may remain weak in the future as companies continue to shift production bases abroad and overseas demand wanes, the minutes of the central bank's March policy meeting showed Friday.

The nine-member Policy Board shared the view that exports to emerging countries, including members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, remained weak, while snowstorms in the United States and Japanese firms' moves to prioritize domestic shipments for last-minute purchases before the April 1 sales tax hike also affected exports, the minutes of the March 10 to 11 meeting showed.

As for the outlook, the members agreed that exports were "likely to increase moderately" due to the waning of temporary downside pressure and a recovery in overseas economies.