2ND LD: Japan's trade surplus rises 1.6% in April.TOKYO, May 22 Kyodo (EDS (Electronic Data Systems, Plano, TX, www.eds.com) Founded in 1962 by H. Ross Perot (independent candidate for the President of the U.S. in 1992), EDS is the largest outsourcing and data processing services organization in the country. : ADDING DETAILS, COMMENTS) Japan's customs-cleared trade surplus in April rose on a year-on-year basis for the first time in two months, but only by 1.6% to 840.4 billion yen, as an increase in imports outpaced growth in exports, the Finance Ministry said Thursday. Exports rose 4.7% from a year earlier to 4,608.2 billion yen, while imports increased 5.4% to 3,767.7 billion yen, the ministry said in a preliminary report. Exports were led by demand for automobiles and automobile parts in the European Union (EU) and in Asian countries. The increase in imports were partly due to a rise in oil prices, which pushed up the figure for oil imports. Price hikes in oil in the run-up to the war in Iraq have increased oil imports in value terms in recent months. Although oil prices began falling shortly before the start of the war, they were still at a high level in April. A rise in the yen against the dollar weighed on the nation's exports. The dollar averaged 119.62 yen in the reporting month, down 10.4% from the year-earlier average of 132.07 yen. Japan's surplus with the 15-member EU and with Asian nations grew in April but its surplus with the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. fell 11.8% to 568.3 billion yen, down for the fourth straight month. Exports to the U.S. fell 7.6% to 1,171.9 billion yen, with exports of cars down 7.3% for the third consecutive monthly fall. Imports from the U.S. fell 3.1% to 603.6 billion yen. The surplus with the EU grew 38.4% to 273.3 billion yen, up for the fourth straight month. Exports to the region expanded 12.6% to 733.4 billion yen, while imports rose 1.4% to 460.1 billion yen, the ministry said. The surplus with Asian countries increased 31.2% to 415.8 billion yen, up for the 14th month in a row. Exports expanded 10.3% to 2,085.7 billion yen, outdoing a 6.1% increase in imports to 1,669.9 billion yen. A ministry official said he could not say whether the severe acute respiratory syndrome Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Definition Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is the first emergent and highly transmissible viral disease to appear during the twenty-first century. (SARS) epidemic had an impact on the trade data, as the epidemic's impact could work both ways for the flow of merchandise. SARS could have a negative impact if factories suspended sus·pend v. sus·pend·ed, sus·pend·ing, sus·pends v.tr. 1. To bar for a period from a privilege, office, or position, usually as a punishment: suspend a student from school. operations following infection of their workers, but could also boost the flow of goods if alarmed companies moved up their production plans to prepare for emergencies, the official said. Seiji Adachi, an analyst at Credit Suisse First Boston Credit Suisse First Boston was originally the trading name of the Financière Crédit Suisse-First Boston, a London-based 50-50 investment banking joint venture formed in 1978 between the First Boston Corporation and Credit Suisse. , said, ''I don't think the impact of SARS was seen in the April data. Even if it is to have an effect, it will probably only show sometime after May.'' |
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