Japan posted a merchandise trade surplus of 140.277 billion yen in December, the Ministry of Finance said on Monday.
That beat forecasts for a surplus of 117.0 billion yen following the 381.3 billion yen deficit in November.
Exports were down 8.0 percent on year to 6.337 trillion yen, missing forecasts for a decline of 7.0 percent following the 3.3 percent contraction in the previous month.
Exports to all of Asia fell 10.3 percent on year to 3.338 trillion yen, while exports to China alone dropped 8.6 percent to 1.157 trillion yen.
Exports to the United States dipped an annual 3.4 percent to 1.351 trillion yen, while exports to the European Union gained 3.1 percent to 740.324 billion yen.
Imports tumbled an annual 18.0 percent to 6.197 trillion yen versus expectations for a fall of 16.4 percent following the 10.2 percent drop a month earlier.
Imports from the rest of Asia fell 11.7 percent on year to 3.071 trillion yen, while imports from just China fell 8.9 percent to 1.559 trillion yen.
Imports from the United States tumbled an annual 10.1 percent to 593,000 billion yen, while imports from the European Union jumped an annual 9.9 percent to 752.010 billion yen.
The adjusted trade surplus was 36.6 billion yen - beneath expectations for 84.2 billion yen but up from 22.4 billion yen a month earlier.
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Forex News
April 24, 2026 15:15 ET Economics news flow was relatively light this week even as the conflict in the Middle East continued, raising concerns for policymakers. In the U.S., spending data, initial jobless claims and pending home sales were the highlights. Business confidence in the biggest euro area economy was in focus in Europe. Inflation data from Japan gained attention in Asia.