Japan's Ministry of Finance reported that the country recorded a trade deficit of 1.01 trillion yen in the first six months of 2026, as the Middle East crisis and disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz weighed on oil imports. Crude oil imports from the Middle East fell 26.4 percent to 47.31 million kiloliters. Overall exports rose 13.7 percent to 60.66 trillion yen, while total imports increased 10.7 percent to 61.67 trillion yen. For the month of June alone, Japan posted a trade deficit of 406.9 billion yen, with exports surging 19.3 percent, exceeding economists' forecast of 18.6 percent, and imports climbing 25.4 percent, above the projected 21 percent.