Japan sets new sanctions over N.Korea nuclear test

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan said on Tuesday it would impose fresh sanctions on North Korea, including what media said would be a ban on all exports to it, in response to a nuclear test on May 25.

The U.N. Security Council last Friday approved wider sanctions against the communist state that included a ban on all weapons exports from North Korea and most arms imports into the country.

The impact of the new sanctions is seen as limited, with Japan's exports to the North's broken-down economy already small and all imports from the isolated state already banned as part of previous sanctions.

Japanese exports to North Korea have been shrinking since late 2006, when Japan banned North Korean ships from entering its ports and cut exports of luxury items to it.

The exports totaled 800 million yen ($8.26 million) last year, down almost 85 percent from 2006, according to government data.

($1=96.83 Yen)

(Reporting by Yoko Nishikawa)