Tokyo, June 17 (Jiji Press)--Japan logged a customs-cleared trade deficit of 378.6 billion yen in May, slipping back into the red as costly replacement purchases of crude oil and naphtha boosted the value of imports amid Middle East tensions, the Finance Ministry said in a

A weaker yen makes it more expensive to import materials including energy resources. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.

Japan has reported a $2.4 billion trade deficit in May even though its exports surged 17% from a year earlier.