Japan's exports fell 1.6 percent in June from a year earlier, marking the fourth consecutive month of decline, preliminary data from the Ministry of Finance(MOF) showed on Thursday.
According to the figures in the recording period, the value of exports totaled 5,775.9 billion yen (about 73.26 billion U.S. dollars), but the pace of declined slowed from the previous month as the nation's recovery from the March 11 disasters lifted the trade balance into positive territory in June.
June's export figures came in better than median economists' forecasts for a 4.1 percent decline and followed a massive 10.3 percent annualized slump in May.
The government's preliminary figures showered the balance of trade in goods marked a surplus of 70.7 billion yen, with imports rising 9.8 percent in the year to June at 5,705.2 billion yen on a custom-cleared basis, the MOF's said.
Initial forecast were for a 165.1 billion yen downturn in surplus, following a revised 855.8 billion yen shortfall logged in May.
From a month earlier however, the government noted that exports rose 5.4 percent as factory output increased as disrupted supply chains and damaged infrastructure improved significantly.