June 22, 2007	Friday	Jamadi-us-Sani 06, 1428

TOKYO, June 21: Japan's trade surplus rose 9.3 per cent from a year earlier to 389.5 billion yen ($3.15 billion) in May on strong exports of cars and steel, the government said on Thursday.

Exports expanded 15.1 per cent to 6.57 trillion yen while imports rose 15.5 per cent to 6.18 trillion yen, the Japanese finance ministry said.

The trade surplus expanded for the seventh straight month, but the increase was below the market forecast of a 24.9 per cent year-on-year rise to 445.1 billion yen.—AFP