Japan logs $7.6bn trade deficit

Tokyo - Japan posted a trade deficit of ¥891.9bn in November for the 29th consecutive month of trade loss, the government said on Wednesday.

The value of overall imports declined 1.7% to ¥7.8trn, however, those of liquefied natural gas grew 12.2%, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Japan has depended more on fossil fuel imports for power generation since the country's worst nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station, caused by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

Exports rose 4.9% to ¥6.19trn for the third straight month of increase with shipments of semiconductor equipment up 14.7%, the ministry said.

Imports from China, Japan's biggest trading partner, climbed 3.9% to ¥1.75trn, while export to the world's second-biggest economy edged up 0.9%, leaving the country's trade deficit at ¥597bn for the 33rd consecutive month of trade shortfall.