Japan trade deficit surges to record

Japan's trade deficit ballooned to a record in the first half of the year as exports fell further in June, data showed on Thursday, ramping up pressure on the central bank to unveil fresh measures to boost the economy. The figures come days after the government cut its fiscal year growth forecasts, blaming weak exports and a jump in imports as well as the negative impact of an April sales tax hike on consumer spending and business confidence. Japan has seen widening trade deficits since the Fukushima nuclear crisis in March 2011 forced it to switch off its atomic reactors and turn to pricey fossil fuel imports to plug the energy gap, according to a news agency.