Japan April exports fall 21.9% year/year - MOF

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan’s exports fell 21.9% in April from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance (MOF) data showed on Thursday, in a sign the coronavirus pandemic is taking a heavy toll on the country’s export-reliant economy.

That compared with a 22.7% fall seen by economists in a Reuters poll and followed an 11.7% drop in March.

Imports fell 7.2% in the year to April, versus the median estimate for a 12.9% decrease.

The trade balance came to a deficit of 930.4 billion yen ($8.65 billion), against the median estimate for a 560.0 billion yen deficit.

For more background, see POLL story

To view full tables, go to the MOF website at:

http://www.customs.go.jp/toukei/info/index_e.htm

($1 = 107.5900 yen)

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Chang-Ran Kim)

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