Japan’s exports surge on chips demand, imports hit record on oil costs

Japan experienced a surge in both imports and exports during July, with trade data released on Thursday showing significant year-on-year increases across major categories. Import values grew 27.8% compared with the same period last year, reaching 12.1 trillion yen, marking the second consecutive monthly record and exceeding market expectations for a 26.5% increase. The expansion was driven primarily by elevated energy costs, as crude oil import volumes rose 5.5% from a year earlier—the fi