Japan’s June exports jump by 48.6pc to US$66b

Japan’s exports in June jumped 48.6 percent from the year before, marking the fourth straight month of growth, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday, Ap reports.

Imports for the month grew by 32.7 percent, totaling 6.83 trillion yen (US$62 billion). Exports for the month totaled 7.2 trillion yen (US$66 billion), according to government data.

The increases were exaggerated by a plunge in trade last year due to the pandemic. But they highlight the recovery in the world’s third largest economy as a global rebound in business activity and travel boosts demand.

Exports to the U.S. surged by 86 percent in June from a year earlier, led by shipments of cars and computer parts. Exports to China grew by 28 percent, with strong growth in vehicles, semiconductor making equipment and computer parts, the data showed.

Japan logged a trade surplus of 985 billion yen (US$9 billion) in the first half of the year, the second straight surplus in a row.