Japan's total exports to other Asian economies hit a record high in July.
The Finance Ministry said Thursday in a preliminary report that exports to the rest of Asia grew 21.2 percent in July from a year earlier to 2.6 trillion yen, the highest since comparable data were made available in 1947.
Imports were up 9.9 percent to 1.88 trillion yen, the second-highest on record, driving the trade surplus with the rest of Asia up 62.9 percent to 751.2 billion yen, the third-highest on record, it said.