| Japan posted a surprise trade surplus in June, with the Ministry of Finance reporting Wednesday the trade account was 61.65 billion yen ($790 million) in the black. Exports fell 2.3% from a year earlier, less than an expected 3.6% drop, while imports fell 2.2%. The drop in exports came as shipments to Europe plunged 25.5%, and those to China fell 7.3%, though a 15.1% rise in U.S.-bound exports helped offset those losses. The Japanese yen rose modestly following the data, with the dollar dropping to ¥78.11 from ¥78.19 ahead of the release. Powered by Commodity Insights |