Japan's exports in July rose 23.2%, exceeding economists' median forecast of 19.9% in a Reuters poll, marking the fastest growth since October 2022. Among these, the value of semiconductor equipment shipments surged by 49.1%, driven by the artificial intelligence boom. Exports to China, Japan's largest trading partner, increased by 25.8%, and exports to the United States grew by 22%. In the same period, Japan's imports in July increased by 27.8%, also higher than analysts' expectations of 26.5%, with oil imports soaring by 87.8% due to rising oil prices caused by the Iran war.