Japan's goods trade balance fell into the red in fiscal 2018 for the first time in three years amid higher energy prices and sluggish demand from China, government data showed Wednesday.

Japan logged a deficit of ¥1.59 trillion ($14.2 billion) in the year through March, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry.

Exports rose 1.9 percent from a year earlier to ¥80.71 trillion on increased deliveries of cars and ships, while imports jumped 7.1 percent to ¥82.29 trillion on higher costs of crude oil and liquefied natural gas.