Japan posted a goods trade surplus of ¥2.46 trillion ($24 billion) for the April to September half, reversing the ¥1.28 trillion deficit posted a year earlier, after imports plunged thanks to lower oil prices, the government said Monday.
The value of imports dived 19.1 percent from a year earlier to ¥31.56 trillion as imports of crude oil sank 37.3 percent and the yen's appreciation helped reduce the value of exports, the Finance Ministry said in the preliminary report.
Exports slid 9.9 percent to ¥34.02 trillion, the biggest drop since the 36.4 percent plunge in April-September of 2009, as the yen stayed firm. Slowing exports to Asia and the United States also contributed to the slide.