Japan's exports to the United States, its largest single trading partner, fell nearly 2% in April as tariff hikes imposed by President Donald Trump hit home.

Japan's export growth slowed in April, weighed by a decline in shipments to the U.S. as businesses in the world's fourth-largest economy braced for the hit to a fragile economic recovery from President Donald Trump's tariffs.

Exports to the U.S. dropped 1.8% in April from a year earlier, reflecting weaker demand for Japanese cars and other machinery.