Japan exports up for first time in 15 months as yen falls

Japan's exports rose for the first time in 15 months in December on strong sales of electronics and car parts, a positive sign for the export-reliant economy even as US protectionism threatens to hurt trade across the region and dent external demand.

Ministry of Finance data showed on Wednesday that exports rose 5.4 per cent year-on-year in December, compared with a 1.2 per cent annual increase expected by economists in a Reuters poll. It followed an annual 0.4 per cent decline in November.

Shipments in terms of volume also rose 8.4 per cent from a year earlier, up for a