Soaring crude oil prices pushed Japanese imports to record highs in July, trimming the nation's customs-cleared trade surplus for a fourth straight month, the Finance Ministry said Thursday.
Imports grew 11.6 percent in the reporting month from a year earlier to 4.662 trillion yen, while exports rose 4.3 percent to 5.535 trillion yen, the second-highest level on record, the ministry said in a preliminary report.
Exports rose for a 20th straight month, bolstered by robust exports to other Asian economies, while imports grew for a 17th consecutive month.