>TOKYO - JAPAN'S trade surplus fell 94.1 per cent to 95.11 billion yen (S$1.45 billion) in September, Ministry of Finance data showed on Thursday, underlining views that sluggish exports are pushing the economy into recession.
The September reading compared with economists' median forecast of a 62.7 per cent decline to a surplus of 600 billion yen.
Japan's custom-cleared trade balance logged its first effective deficit in nearly 26 years in August as high oil prices pushed up import costs while overseas demand for Japan-made goods weakened due to the spreading financial crisis.
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