TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s exports fell 11.7% in March from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Monday, reflecting a sharp drop in external demand due to the coronavirus outbreak.
That compared with a 10.1% decrease expected by economists in a Reuters poll and followed a 1.0% fall in February.
Imports fell 5.0% in the year to March, versus the median estimate for a 9.8% decline, and a 13.9% drop in the prior month.
The trade balance came to a surplus of 4.9 billion yen, versus the median estimate for a 420.0 billion yen surplus.
(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)
