AKIPRESS.COM - Japan logged a goods trade deficit of 909.0 billion yen (about 8.90 billion U.S. dollars) in May, remaining in the red for the 23rd straight month, the government said Wednesday.

The deficit size is larger than that of April, which saw a deficit of 808.9 billion yen (about 7.90 billion dollars), but contracting 8.3 percent from a year earlier, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

It attributed the drop to the consumption tax hike from April 1, which dragged down imports due to weaker personal spending and industrial output at home. Meanwhile, a slowdown in external demand also led to a fall in Japan's May exports.

Imports shrank 3.6 percent to 6,516.5 billion yen (63.78 billion dollars) on yearly basis in the reporting period, down for the first time in 19 months, compared with a 3.4 percent rise in April.

The value of exports declined 2.7 percent to 5,607.6 billion yen (54.89 billion dollars), the first drop in 15 months.

Exports to China in May gained 0.4 percent to 1,049.7 billion yen, while imports were up 2.7 percent to 1,419.1 billion yen.

Shipments to the United States edged down 2.8 percent to 1,010. 7 billion yen, and imports fell 0.5 percent to 611.2 billion yen.

Exports to the European Union grew 14.5 percent to 606.0 billion yen, and imports increased 5.7 percent to 652.8 billion yen.

The figures were calculated on a customs-cleared basis.