Japan's Trade Deficit Reaches Record $17.8 Billion Due to Soaring Oil Imports

• Japan's trade deficit reached 2.81 trillion yen ($17.8 billion) in the first fiscal half.
• Oil import prices soared due to the conflict in the Middle East.
• Japan's exports grew 18.4% to 63.5 trillion yen in the April-September period.
• Imports surged to 66.3 trillion yen in the same period.
• The Finance Ministry released preliminary data on Wednesday.