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Japan's Exports to Middle East Nosedive in April Amid War; Motor Vehicle Exports Plunge

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Japan's major exports to the Middle East plunged in April amid the ongoing war in the region, according to trade statistics released by country's finance ministry on Thursday.

Major exports from the country, including cars and steel pipes, to the Middle East region, fell by 55.8% in value year on year to 138.695 trillion yen in April, affected by the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The export of motor vehicles fell sharply by 90.8%, including a 90.4% decline in cars and 92.2% slip in the export of trucks and buses to the war-effected region.

According to a Nikkei Asia report, Japan's overseas shipments of new passenger cars to the Middle East account for 13% of total exports by value, and 27% of total truck exports and 22% of buses.

Imports to the Middle East region also fell 56.8% to 469.224 trillion yen in April.

Japan's overall exports by value rose 14.8% from a year earlier in April, while ​imports grew 9.8%.

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