TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Japan's trade deficit in 2024 shrank 44 percent from a year earlier to 5.33 trillion yen ($34 billion), as exports hit a record high due to robust vehicle and semiconductor-related demand, government data showed Thursday.

While exports grew 6.2 percent from the year before to 107.09 trillion yen, the country's trade balance remained in the red for the fourth consecutive year, with imports climbing 1.8 percent to 112.42 trillion yen, according to the Finance Ministry.

Japan had a trade surplus of 8.64 trillion yen with the United States in 2024, down 0.7 percent from the previous year, the ministry's preliminary report said.

With China, Japan ran a 6.44 trillion yen trade deficit, down 3.4 percent.

For December alone, Japan reported a 130.9 billion yen trade surplus, the first black ink in six months.

Exports in the reporting month increased 2.8 percent to 9.91 trillion yen and imports grew 1.8 percent to 9.78 trillion yen from a year earlier.