Japan’s exports soared 14.8% in April from the same month a year earlier, according to Finance Ministry data released Thursday, showing that its trade remained robust despite worries over supplies of oil and gas due to the war in Iran.
Exports were stronger than expected, rising for the eighth straight month as shipments of semiconductors surged nearly 42% by value from the previous year. Booming demand for computer chips and other infrastructure needed to power artificial intelligence has yielded a windfall for many high-tech Asian manufacturers.
