Japan's Trade Minister Banri Kaieda told ASEAN member nations that Japan's economy was recovering at a quicker pace than initially expected from the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, Kyodo news agency reported. Kaieda was speaking at a meeting with his counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday, Kyodo said, according to Reuters. He was quoted as saying that the output of Japanese manufacturers in the areas devastated by the quake and tsunami is expected to return to levels before the disaster by the end of July. Japan's automotive industry officials said this month that car sales were well off the post-disaster trough. New vehicle sales in Japan slumped by more than a fifth in June as the production disruption from the earthquake lingered, but the data showed a big improvement from the previous months as more parts became available. ASEAN groups Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
