Japan's exports jump 13% in Dec. year-on-year

Japanese exports rose a better-than- expected 13.0 percent in December from a year earlier, suggesting Japan's export-led recovery may be getting back on track, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.


According to the ministry, the value of exports in the recording period totaled 6,112.8 billion yen (74.5 billion U.S. dollars) and marked the 13th straight month of growth.


December's figure also beat economists' expectations for a 9.2 percent rise and increased from the 9.1 percent rise booked in the year to November.


Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, jumped 20.1 percent from a year earlier in December and shipments to countries in the wider Asian region rose 14.8 percent, the finance ministry reported.


Asia accounts for more than 50 percent of Japan's total exports and is driving the nations export-led economic recovery.


Separately, the ministry announced that Japan's trade balance rose 34.1 percent from a year earlier to 727.7 billion yen,beating median economists' forecasts for a 450-470 billion yen surplus.


Japan's trade figures are calculated on a customs-cleared basis before being adjusted for seasonal factors.
(Source:http://news.xinhuanet.com)