Japan’s foreign reserves rise above $1 trillion in March

July 16th, 2009 Natural gas reserves increase as expectedNEW YORK — Natural gas stockpile levels jumped last week, though the increase met expectations and demand for the fuel continues to sag, the government said Thursday. The Energy Department's Energy Information Administration said in its weekly report that natural gas inventories held in underground storage in the lower 48 states rose by 90 billion cubic feet to about 2.89 trillion cubic feet for the week ended July 10.

June 18th, 2009 Natural gas reserves climbingThe Potential Gas Committee says estimated reserves of natural gas in the U.S. were up 35 percent at the end of 2008 from two years ago.

June 18th, 2009 Report: US natural gas reserves surge 35 percentCOLUMBUS, Ohio — The country's natural gas reserves are much bigger than previously thought, according to a report released Thursday. Thanks to new technology that has allowed producers to drill for gas in shale rock, the Potential Gas Committee in Golden, Colo., said that the country's estimated reserves are 35 percent higher than just two years ago and have reached the highest level since the group started tracking the information 44 years ago.

May 20th, 2009 BEIJING - China's foreign financial assets increased by 23 percent from a year earlier to $2.92 trillion by the end of last year, officials said Wednesday. The country's net foreign financial assets rose 31 percent year on year to $1.52 trillion last year, the State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) said.

May 13th, 2009 TOKYO - Japan's current-account surplus narrowed for the first time in seven years for the year ending March 31, after the global economic downturn caused sharp decline in exports, the Finance Ministry said Wednesday. The current account shows the gap between a country's income from foreign sources and foreign obligations payable, excluding net capital investment.

May 8th, 2009 Japan's Hitachi expects bigger annual lossTOKYO — Japanese electronics maker Hitachi Ltd. said Thursday its loss for the fiscal year ended March will be bigger than its previous forecast, ballooning to 788 billion yen ($8 billion) after writing down the value of tax refunds it expects.

April 30th, 2009 Japan's industrial output up 1.6 percent in MarchTOKYO — Japan's industrial output rose for the first time in six months in March, the government said Thursday, offering a strong sign that the country's factories are coming back to life. Industrial production rose 1.6 percent in March from the previous month, beating an average market forecast for a 0.9 percent uptick in a survey of economists by Kyodo news agency.

April 27th, 2009 Sharp posts $1.3 bln loss as TV, gadget sales diveTOKYO — Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. suffered an annual net loss of 125.8 billion yen ($1.3 billion), its first yearly red ink in nearly six decades, due to declining demand and increasing competition amid a global economic slump.

April 27th, 2009 Sharp posts 125.8 billion yen annual lossTOKYO — Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. said Monday that it suffered an annual net loss of 125.8 billion yen ($1.3 billion) due to declining demand and increasing competition amid a global economic slump.

April 22nd, 2009 Japan's exports dive 46 percent in MarchTOKYO — Japan's exports continued to slump in March, hit by declining shipments of autos and electronics, underlining a grim outlook for the world's second-largest economy as it struggles to climb out of recession. Japan also recorded its first annual trade deficit in 28 years for the 12 months through March, the Ministry of Finance said Wednesday, as the global economic crisis sank demand for the nation's mainstay exports.

April 22nd, 2009 TOKYO - Japan's trade balance for fiscal 2008 marked the first deficit in 28 years due to rise in commodity prices and slower exports to the US and other major economies, the finance ministry said Wednesday. The nation's trade deficit logged 725.32 billion yen ($7.38 billion) in fiscal 2008 that ended in March, the ministry said.

April 16th, 2009 BEIJING - China's economy expanded by 6.1 percent year-on-year in the first quarter, official data showed Thursday. The quarterly growth rate was the lowest in 10 years as the global financial crisis continued to affect the world's fastest-growing economy.

March 18th, 2009 TOKYO - Japan's central bank Wednesday kept its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 0.1 percent but decided to step up its purchases of government debt. The Bank of Japan is to increase its monthly purchases of long-term government debt from 1.4 trillion yen ($14.21 billion) to 1.8 trillion yen to inject liquidity into money markets and prevent the rise of long-term interest rates.

February 2nd, 2009 ISLAMABAD - Pakistan's public debt is expected to rise by a staggering 34 percent or Rs.2 trillion ($25 billion) in the current fiscal largely due to the massive depreciation of the rupee and external loans obtained for maintaining the balance of payments. The public debt was at Rs.5.9 trillion at the beginning of the fiscal July 1, 2008.

December 22nd, 2008 BEIJING - China's total volume of foreign trade is expected to reach $2.6 trillion in 2008, up from $2.17 trillion last year, Commerce Minister Chen Deming said Tuesday. The country's foreign investment is expected to hit $95 billion, up from $74.8 billion, Chen said.