Japan trade deficit halves to 1.76 tril. yen on record Jan. exports

Japan's exports rose to a record high in January as U.S.-bound auto shipments were robust, helping the nation halve its trade deficit from a year earlier to 1.76 trillion yen ($11.74 billion) as energy imports also slumped, government data showed Wednesday.Exports increased 11.9 percent to 7.33 trillion yen, marking the second straight month of growth despite concerns about slowing global demand after aggressive interest rate hikes in the United States and Europe.Imports of coal and liquefied natural gas fell by double digits, leading the resource-scarce nation to report a 9.6 percent drop …READ FULL ARTICLE