Japan’s exports increased in March for the 13th consecutive month, driven by robust demand for steel and semiconductor manufacturing equipment, Ministry of Finance data showed Wednesday.
Exports rose 14.7% from a year earlier in March. That compared with February’s 19.1% increase and was weaker than the 18% increase expected by economists surveyed by data provider FactSet.
Exports to the U.S. and EU led the growth, increasing by 23.8% and 16.8%, respectively, mainly due to the strong demand for pharmaceuticals, auto parts and semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
The growth of exports to China weakened to 2.9% from February’s 25.8%.