Figures show a slump in Japanese exports

Japan’s current account surplus in July fell 19.4% from a year earlier as exports tumbled amid a slowing recovery in the global economy, the finance ministry said today.

The current account surplus, Japan’s broadest measure of trade with the rest of the world, was 1.27 trillion yen (13.6 billion US dollars), the first year-on-year fall in two months, the ministry said.