Japanese exports to the United States surged 23.9 percent in March from a year earlier, to $12.7 billion, on strong auto and auto parts business, according to preliminary figures released by the Finance Ministry on recently. It was the fifth consecutive monthly rise. Japanese imports from also rose, but at a much slower pace of 8.4 percent, totaling $6.6 billion. It was the third successive monthly growth on a year-on-year basis.
As a result, Japan’s trade surplus with the U.S. expanded for the second consecutive month, widening 47 percent to $6.0 billion. The U.S. is now Japan’s second-largest trading partner after China.