April exports 12.5 yryr vs forecast 13.8
Imports jump to biggest amount on record
Trade deficit persists for nine months in row MOF
Trade deficit may weaken yen more, hurt purchasing power

TOKYO, May 19 Reuters Japan39;s exports extended doubledigit gains for a third straight month in April, but surging global commodity costs inflated the country39;s import bill to a record, adding to worries about the rising cost of living.

Shoring up the prospects of a private demandled recovery, however, was a gauge of capital expenditure that posted its first monthly gain in three months.

The mixed data on Thursday followed the yen39;s falls to twodecadelows against the dollar earlier this month, which stoked fears of worsening terms of trade and added financial burdens for the resourcepoor Japanese economy as import costs soar.

A weak yen, once considered a boon for the exportled economy, now has less of an impact as shipments grow smaller due to the ongoing shift by Japanese manufacturers to offshore production.

Japan39;s exports rose 12.5 in April from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data showed, led by U.S.bound shipments of cars, slightly missing a 13.8 increase expected by economists in a Reuters poll. It followed a 14.7 rise in March.

In a worrying sign for the outlook, Chinabound shipments fell 5.9 in April, the biggest drop since March 2020, as heavy COVID19 curbs in major cities like Shanghai disrupted supplychains and paralysed economic activity. Imports from…