Japan posts trade surplus in 2017 for 2nd straight yr on strong exports

Japan posted a goods trade surplus of 2.99 trillion yen ($27 billion) in 2017, the second straight year of black ink, as robust exports exceeded imports that surged amid higher energy prices, government data showed Wednesday.Exports jumped 11.8 percent to 78.29 trillion yen, reflecting an increase in Asia-bound shipments to a record-high value, while imports surged 14.0 percent to 75.30 trillion yen, according to preliminary data from the Finance Ministry.The country's surplus, however, shrank 25.1 percent from 2016.For the past year, Japan has seen rising exports on the back of stronger ov…READ FULL ARTICLE