Japan's Dec exports, imports hit record high by value as supply eases

Japan's exports and imports in December hit record highs in terms of their value in yen, data showed on Thursday, as supply bottlenecks eased at the end of 2021 amid rising prices.

However, a persistent semiconductor shortage remains a headache for Japanese firms such as automaker Toyota, which slashed its near-term output target this week, in addition to uncertainties around the Omicron variant.

Exports jumped 17.5% from a year earlier, Ministry of Finance data showed, outstripping a 16.0% gain expected by economists in a Reuters poll but below a 20.5% rise in November.

Yen-denominated exports and imports hit records of