Myanmar’s bilateral trade with Japan in the first nine months of 2008 declined 5.6 percent to $275.98 million, compared to $292.33 million in the same period of 2007, official statistics showed Tuesday.

Imports, from the January-to-September period, declined 8.3 percent to $148.56 million compared to $161.96 million in the same period in 2007, while exports edged down 2.3 percent to $127.41 million from $130.37 million in the previous year, the figures from Myanmar’s National Planning Ministry showed.

Myanmar mainly exports fishery products, garments, and agricultural products, while it imports machinery, automobiles, electronics, iron and steel from Japan.