TOKYO, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- Japan logged a goods trade surplus in July of of 418.8 billion yen (3.8 billion U.S. dollars), the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
The figure compares to median economists' forecasts for a 392.0-billion-yen surplus.
According to the ministry, on a customs-cleared basis, exports increased 13.4 percent in the recording month from a year earlier, owing to recovery in external demand following last month's soft reading.
The latest export data came in slightly lower than median expectations and comes on the heels of a 9.7-percent rise a month earlier.
The ministry's data also showed that imports in July rose 6.3 percent, compared to median estimates for a 17-percent increase.
