INTERNATIONAL

Japan’s Trade Surplus Growing: Despite signs that the Japanese are buying more U.S. goods in many consumer categories, the nation’s trade surplus with the United States grew to $5.17 billion in November, compared to $4.29 billion a year earlier, the Finance Ministry reported. The bad news for bilateral trade relations came on the same day a major economic daily published a study suggesting a longer-term tendency in the opposite direction. According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, imports in 22 of 30 highly visible consumer categories studied have increased their market share in Japan over the past year.