TOKYO -- Japanese exports grew 4.3% in September from a year earlier for the first year-on-year increase in three months, preliminary data released Thursday by the Finance Ministry shows.

Exports increased to 9.19 trillion yen ($61 billion), while imports totaled 9.13 trillion yen, down 16.3% mainly due to falling resource prices, resulting in a monthly trade surplus of 62.4 billion yen.