Tokyo - Japan's trade surplus in April shrank 46.3 per cent to 485 billion yen (4.66 billion dollars) from the same month a year before, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.

Exports rose 4 per cent to 6.9 trillion yen, and imports jumped 11.9 per cent to 6.41 trillion yen.

Japan's trade surplus with the United States narrowed 11.5 per cent to 577.6 billion yen. Exports fell 9.1 per cent to 1.22 trillion yen, and imports to the nation declined 6.7 per cent to 640 billion yen.

In trade with the European Union, Japan's surplus marked the first decline in nine months at 406.4 billion yen, down 3.2 per cent. Exports were up 1.3 per cent to 1.02 trillion yen, and imports rose 4.5 per cent to 609.9 billion yen.

With China, Japan's trade deficit shrank to 165.9 billion yen in April from the deficit of 334.8 billion yen a year earlier. Exports grew 14.1 per cent to 1.1 trillion yen, while imports fell 2.5 per cent to 1.27 trillion yen.

The trade data are measured on a customs-cleared basis before adjustments for seasonal factors. (dpa)