Japan posted a goods trade surplus of 2.46 trillion yen about ($24 billion) in the April to September period, a turnaround from a deficit of 1.28 trillion yen a year earlier, lifted by a plunge in imports due to lower crude oil prices, the government said Monday.

    The Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report that the value of imports dived 19.1% from a year earlier to 31.56 trillion yen as imports of crude oil fell 37.3%, while the yen's appreciation also helped push down the value of exports, according to Japan's (Kyodo) News Agency.

    Exports slid 9.9%, the biggest fall since a 36.4% plunge in the April-September period in 2009, to 34.02 trillion yen, due mainly to the effect of a firmer yen. Slowing exports to Asia and the United States also contributed to the slide.