* Japan exports plunge, German economy shrinks at record pace
* EU eyes new supervisory bodies, steps seen by April
* Ukraine downgraded by Standard & Poor's
* UK asset protection plan expected on Thursday
By Yuzo Saeki and Huw Jones
TOKYO/BRUSSELS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Plunging exports drove Japan's trade deficit to a record high and caused a sharp contraction in Germany, while Europe vowed to take steps by April to bolster the oversight of firms and markets at the heart of the financial crisis.
Adding to evidence of the deepening global recession, Standard & Poor's downgraded hard-hit Ukraine and warned that cuts in sovereign ratings would rise this year, chilling markets.
Japan's exports fell by 45.7 percent to hit a 10-year low in value hit by slumping demand for top exports including cars and electronics.
"Exports to Asia, particularly to China, are tumbling at about the same pace as shipments to the United States, signalling that even China's economy may be shrinking," said Takeshi Minami, chief economist at Norinchukin Research Institute.
Japan's trade deficit shot to a record 952.6 billion yen ($9.82 billion), rocking the export-oriented economy where sales of major brands such as Toyota cars and Sony electronics have long powered growth.
A sharp drop in exports was also blamed for a record 2.1 percent contraction in Europe's biggest economy as Germany's gross domestic product (GDP) in the final quarter of 2008 posted its worst performance since reunification in 1990.
"The outlook for the current quarter is anything but good," said Ulrike Kastens, economist at Sal. Oppenheim. "There are still no signs of a recovery."
Aiming to stabilise rapidly slowing economies, governments continue to offer stimulus and even direct investment in major lenders, while reforming oversight to instil greater market confidence.
A report delivered to the European Commission on Wednesday said financial sector oversight across the European Union was in need of urgent repair.
Two new pan-EU bodies are planned to monitor risks and improve coordination, said the report prepared by a group headed by former French central bank boss Jacques de Larosiere.
"The report confirms my belief that a European system of financial supervision is indispensable. I am committed to engage immediately in its preparation," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told a news conference.
He said the Commission would present detailed concrete proposals in April covering private equity, hedge funds and remuneration schemes.
Regulators around the world are under pressure to tighten supervision of financial firms and products and face blame for failing to prevent the global crisis or to restore sufficient confidence in its wake.
The 27-nation EU needs to balance the need to better coordinate regulation with concerns in some member states that centralised oversight will leave them powerless.
Britain is expected to unveil details of a plan on Thursday to limit banks losses on about 500 billion pounds ($728 billion) of risky assets, which is designed help prevent full nationalisation.
Italy approved its long-awaited bank recapitalisation scheme on Wednesday.
NATIONALISATION JITTERS
MSCI's main world equity index pared its gains after S&P warned about sovereign downgrades this year.
"There were more (sovereign) downgrades than upgrades last year and we expect that margin to widen this year," David Beers, S&P head of sovereign ratings said.
S&P lowered ratings on Ukraine by two notches citing a perceived lack of political will for budget revisions needed as part of Kiev's $16.4 billion loan programme with the International Monetary Fund.
Japanese stocks shook off the bad export news with the Nikkei average gaining 2.65 percent, encouraged by a report in the Nikkei business newspaper which said the government is considering using public funds to buy stocks directly from the market.
While investors cheered that news, jitters over too much state ownership persist.
British Finance Minister Alistair Darling touched on the sensitive topic of full nationalisation in an opinion piece in the Financial Times newspaper on Wednesday. "It is important that the banks' equity will continue to be owned by institutional and individual investors as well as by the government," he said.
A highly placed French government source told Reuters that France is poised to take preferred shares and an eventual 20 percent stake in what will be the country's second largest bank pending a planned merger between Banque Populaire and Groupe Caisse d'Epargne.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy has been criticised over the expected appointment of the president's deputy chief of staff, Francois Perol, as head of the new merged bank.
(Reporting by Reuters bureaus worldwide; Writing by Alan Wheatley and Jason Neely; Editing by Richard Hubbard)