Japanese exports fall 2.2% in March due to tsunami

The north-east of Japan, where major manufacturers have factories has seen major damage
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Japanese exports fell by more than expected in March, as damage from last month's earthquake and tsunami affected shipments.

Exports declined 2.2% from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said. Many analysts were expecting a drop of about 1.5%.

One of the main factors was car exports which tumbled 28% from a year earlier.

The earthquake and tsunami on 11 March has damaged factories and disrupted the supply chain.

Shipments of semiconductor products also fell by 6.9%.

It is the first decline in overall exports in 16 months.

For Japan's two major export destinations, shipments to the US declined 3.4% from the previous year, while shipments to China rose an annual 3.8%.

Power problems
Major Japanese manufacturers have been forced to suspend production due to shortages of parts.

Sony and Toyota are among companies which say they are facing supply chain problems.

To add to their worries, power supply shortages are expected in the summer months.

"Due to power supply constraints expected in the summer, a full pick up in exports is unlikely until at least the end of this year," said Yuichi Kodama from Meiji Yasuda Life Insurance.