Japan’s annual exports climbed 5.9% from a year earlier, helped by strong shipments of goods like computer chips and vehicles. Imports rose 4.7% cent. But a weaker Japanese yen made imports more costly.<\/p>\n

A recent influx of foreign tourists to Japan has pushed exports higher, since such spending counts as exports.<\/p>\n

For the month of March, Japan recorded a trade surplus of \u00a5544 billion ($4 billion). Exports climbed nearly 4% from a year earlier, for the sixth straight month of gains, although the surge was slower than in February.<\/p>\n