Japan logged a goods trade deficit of ¥888.8 billion ($8.2 billion) in the first half of 2019, weighed down by sluggish exports to other Asian countries amid intensifying trade tensions between the United States and China, government data showed Thursday.

The trade deficit followed a ¥1.8 trillion deficit in the second half of last year, according to a preliminary report by the Finance Ministry.

During the January to June period, exports fell 4.7 percent from a year earlier to ¥38.24 trillion and imports decreased 1.1 percent to ¥39.13 trillion. Both exports and imports were down for the first time in five six-month periods.