Japan trade deficit widens in July, exports up on higher demand for machinery, heavy vehicles

Japan's trade deficit rose in July from the month before to a wider than expected 964 billion yen ($9.4 billion), though exports were higher for the first time in three months, the government said Wednesday.

It was the 25th straight monthly trade deficit for the world's third-largest economy, due mainly to an increase in imports of oil and gas to compensate for idled nuclear reactors following meltdowns at the Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear power plant in 2011.

This has been excerpted from a 26 August 2014 article in the Canadian Press and is available in its entirety at:
http://www.thecanadianpress.com/english/online/OnlineFullStory.aspx?filename=DOR-MNN-CP.c5ff0ea5f3ce4f01b80e5380ca1687e5.CPKEY2008111300&newsitemid=29557937&languageid=1