Japan's trade surplus falls 86.6 percent in July (AP)

TOKYO - Japan's trade surplus in July fell 86.6 percent from a year earlier as spending on imports grew because of higher prices for oil and other commodities, the government said Thursday.

Web site of elastic tape / elastic webbing, and other related products manufacturer.

The surplus shrank to 91.1 billion yen ($830.6 million), marking the fifth straight month of decline, the Finance Ministry said. Overall imports grew 18.2 percent to 7.54 trillion yen ($68.7 billion) in July, while exports rose 8.1 percent to 7.63 trillion yen ($69.6 billion), the ministry said.

Full Story: Japan's trade surplus falls 86.6 percent in July (AP)

Click here for more on elastic tapes.