Japan's exports rise 2% on year in April, shipments to US slump

TOKYO, May 21 (Reuters) - Japanese exports rose 2% in April from a year earlier but shipments to the U.S. fell 1.8%, data from the Ministry of Finance showed on Wednesday.

The year-on-year increase in total exports matched a median market forecast.

Imports fell 2.2% in April from a year earlier, versus a 4.5% drop expected by analysts.

As a result, Japan marked a trade deficit of 115.8 billion yen ($802.44 million), compared with a median market forecast for a 227.1 billion yen surplus.

($1 = 144.3100 yen)