Japan's economic recovery is closely tied into US demand for goods

Overall exports increased 13.9% from a year earlier to 7.5155 trillion yen ($68.9bn; £33.37bn).

China is set to overtake the US as Japan's biggest export market, with shipments to China rising by 19.2% in October alone.

Fears remain that a slowing US economy will affect Japan's economic recovery.

US dip

Japan's trade surplus rose 66.1% in October from a year earlier to 1.0186 trillion yen.

Exports to the US fell 1.5% from a year earlier as shipments of cars and construction machinery fell, hit by weakness in the US economy.

The US Federal Reserve has cut its forecast for 2008 economic growth to a range of 1.8% to 2.5% - due to tight credit markets and a weakness in the housing sector.

"There are worrying signs of a slowdown in US personal consumption," said Junko Sakuyama, an economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute.