Japan’s exports in August were down 36% in August from the same month last year due to a lack of demand from the rest of the world economy. Exports fell for the 11th straight month to 4.5tn yen ($49bn; £29.9bn), the finance ministry said.

But it was the seventh consecutive month that Japan’s exports exceeded its imports by value.

The world’s second-largest economy had a trade surplus of 185.7bn yen, compared with a deficit last year.

“Japan’s exports to key regions, including the US and Asia, were all down sharply due to sluggish demand,” said finance ministry official Keisuke Kawanishi. Imports dropped 41% from a year earlier.

The slowdown in Japan had been steeper than that experienced in the US or Europe, with the jobless rate reaching a record high.

But the country recently emerged from recession due to the government’s massive stimulus package. Japan’s car exports in August plunged 50% from a year ago, while shipments of steel products dropped 43.3%.