Kuwait, Japan trade declines 21.7 percent in December

(MENAFN) Kuwait's Finance Ministry said that the trade surplus with Japan narrowed 21.7 percent in December to USD713 million compared with 2013, shrinking for the second month due to a decline in exports, KUNA reported.

In December, Kuwaiti overall exports to Japan registered a decline by 17.7 percent to USD908 million, declining for the second consecutive month, while imports from Japan increased 1.2 percent to USD195 million), posting an increase for the sixth month,

Meanwhile the Middle East's trade surplus with Japan also registered a 27.6 decline percent, reaching USD7.9 billion, as the region's exports to Japan slid 18.9 percent compared with 2013.

The Middle East's exports of crude oil, refined products, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and other natural resources, which account for 97.3 percent of the region's total exports to Japan, plunged 19.3 percent, but the region's overall imports from Japan registered a 27.1 growth in the cited period.