Japan logged a good trade deficit of 958.3 billion yen (about 8.95 billion U.S. dollars) in September, marking the 27th straight month of red ink, government data showed Wednesday.
According to Japan's finance ministry, exports in the reporting period jumped 6.9 percent from a year earlier to 6.38 trillion yen (59.6 billion dollars) while imports rose 6.2 percent to 7.34 trillion yen (68.6 billion dollars).
That left a deficit of 958.3 billion yen (8.95 billion dollars), up 1.6 percent from a year earlier.
The figures demonstrate the mixed impact of a weaker currency on the nation's trade balance.
In September, the Japanese currency fell to a six-year low close to 110 yen to the dollar, potentially helping to make Japanese products cheaper abroad.
Meanwhile, it also pushed up import prices. Japan depends on imports for around 90 percent of its energy needs and about 60 percent of its food supplies.
The country also saw a record trade deficit in the April to September period, which expanded 8.6 percent on yearly basis to 5, 427.1 billion yen (50.68 billion dollars), the highest reading since comparable data became available in 1979./.