31.   A Finance Ministry official briefing reporters on the new figures said the surplus would continue to narrow.

32.   A world wheat surplus continues to depress prices, which have been near record lows for two years.

33.   Bush administration officials have seemed supportive of revisiting tax cuts if surpluses continue to grow, but noncommittal on the question of timing.

34.   But in recent days he has also hinted of a possible policy change, saying the Japanese trade surplus must continue to fall.

35.   But the surplus instead has continued to rise.

36.   Economists expect the surplus to continue shrinking, but not as quickly.

37.   He added that the surplus will probably continue to fall over the next few months as imports rise and oil prices remain higher than their year earlier levels.

38.   In releasing the figures, the ministry said it expects the surplus will likely continue to decline in the future despite the recent weakness of the Japanese yen.

39.   The jump in May was less than expected, but analysts said the surplus likely will continue to mount.

40.   They predicted the surplus will continue shrinking in the coming months.