The figures released today are measured on what is known as a customs-cleared basis.

These preliminary figures were for what is called the customs-cleared trade surplus.

January's customs-cleared trade surplus fell to just $340 million, from $3.25 billion a year ago, the Finance Ministry reported today.

Japan's customs-cleared surplus with the United States in that six-month period rose 22 percent, to $21.2 billion.

Japan's customs-cleared trade surplus grew 39 percent in March from a year earlier as imports declined faster than exports.

Japan's customs-cleared trade surplus fell an unexpectedly large 23.3 percent in March to 965 billion yen ($8 billion) because of a decline in exports.

Japan's unadjusted customs-cleared trade surplus expanded to $6.72 billion in June, compared with $5.27 billion a year ago, the Finance Ministry said today.

The customs-cleared trade surplus, unadjusted for seasonal factors, narrowed to $2.27 billion in November from $3.53 billion a year earlier, the Ministry of Finance said today.

In the first nine months of the year, Japan's customs-cleared exports totaled $248.6 billion, an 11 percent increase from the first nine months of last year.

The customs-cleared trade surplus for the first 20 days in February bode ill for a further narrowing of Japan's trade and current account surpluses, economists said.

Mr President, when a container is transported from Gdansk to Antwerp by a lorry, then that container remains within the EU and the goods do not have to be customs-cleared on arrival or departure.