December exports, imports hit record high

Steady growth: Vehicles bound for shipment at a port in Yokohama. Exports in December rose 17.5% from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data shows. — Bloomberg

TOKYO: Japan’s exports and imports in December hit record highs in terms of their value in yen, data showed yesterday, as supply bottlenecks eased at the end of 2021 amid rising prices.

However, a persistent semiconductor shortage remained a headache for Japanese firms such as automaker Toyota, which slashed its near-term output target this week, in addition to uncertainties around the Omicron variant.