AFP, Tokyo :
Japan’s trade deficit narrowed sharply last month as exports of automobiles and electronic parts picked up while a sky-high energy import bill continued to fall, finance ministry data showed Thursday.
The country’s trade deficit came in at 69.0 billion yen ($556 million), plunging 91.7 percent from a 834.0 billion yen deficit a year ago, and offering some good news for an economy struggling to gain traction.
In June, the value of imports jumped 9.5 percent while imports were down 2.9 percent.
Over the six months through June the deficit shrank 77.4 percent as weak commodity prices helped bring down Japan’s energy bill, which soared after it had to replace nuclear power in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
Japan’s trade deficit narrowed sharply last month as exports of automobiles and electronic parts picked up while a sky-high energy import bill continued to fall, finance ministry data showed Thursday.
The country’s trade deficit came in at 69.0 billion yen ($556 million), plunging 91.7 percent from a 834.0 billion yen deficit a year ago, and offering some good news for an economy struggling to gain traction.
In June, the value of imports jumped 9.5 percent while imports were down 2.9 percent.
Over the six months through June the deficit shrank 77.4 percent as weak commodity prices helped bring down Japan’s energy bill, which soared after it had to replace nuclear power in the aftermath of the Fukushima nuclear crisis.
