The nation's surplus in merchandise trade in fiscal 1998 rose 23.1 percent from the year before to 14.1 trillion yen -- the second-largest figure ever after the 14.4 trillion yen surplus in fiscal 1986 -- with a decline in imports outpacing declining exports.
However, the rate of increase dropped every quarter in the year to March 1999, from 46.3 percent to 3.6 percent, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report released Wednesday.
The politically sensitive trade surplus with the United States rose 23.5 percent in fiscal 1998 to 6.69 trillion yen, the second consecutive yearly rise and the largest surplus since the 7.11 trillion yen surplus in 1987.