Japan Trade Surplus $52 Billion

TOKYO — Japan today reported an embarrassing record $52-billion trade surplus for 1985-86, only one day after it announced measures to stimulate an economy it said is suffering from the high value of the yen.

Exports for the financial year that ended March 31 rose 7.7% while imports fell 3.3%, Finance Ministry figures showed. But officials and private economists said that while the record surplus could embarrass Japanese politicians at the Tokyo summit in May, underlying figures show the economy is indeed facing an export slump in the coming year.