Japan's trade deficit narrowed to ¥844.62B

Trade Deficit in April from ¥1.63T in March as export growth strengthened to 5.1% from 1.8% and imports slowed to +3.4% from +18.1%. The high increase in March was due to a last-minute shopping spree before the sales tax increased on April 1. Exports have disappointed over the past year or so despite the weak yen, prompting fears for Japan's economic recovery, although governor remains optimistic.