The value of outbound shipments from Japan plunged 21.9 per cent year on year to 5.2 trillion yen (48.2 billion dollars) in April amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic, dpa cited a government report on Thursday. The decline was the steepest in 10 years. The reading represented the 17th consecutive monthly fall, according to a preliminary report issued by the Finance Ministry. Shipments to China, Japan's largest trading partner, fell 4.1 per cent year on year to 1.2 trillion yen, while imports jumped 11.7 per cent to 1.7 trillion yen, the ministry said. Exports to the United States plummeted 37.8 per cent to 879.8 billion yen, with vehicle shipments falling 65.8 per cent and those of car parts down 40.9 per cent, the ministry said. Japan's overall imports fell 7.2 per cent to 6.1 trillion yen, which resulted in a trade deficit of 930.4 billion yen - the first trade loss in three months.