TOKYO (Kyodo9 -- Japan logged a trade deficit of 1.1 trillion yen ($7.1 billion) in August, marking the fourth consecutive month of red ink, driven in part by a surge in crude oil prices amid continued tensions in the Middle East, government data showed Wednesday.

Imports climbed 28.0 percent from a year earlier to 11.15 trillion yen, with crude oil imports from the United States increasing more than 11-fold in value, the Finance Ministry said in a preliminary report.

Japan, which relies heavily on the Middle East for its crude oil imports, has stepped up efforts to secure fuel from alternative sources, including the United States, with shipments through the Strait of Hormuz disrupted since the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran in late February.

Exports rose 19.3 percent to 10.05 trillion yen, buoyed by strong shipments of semiconductors and automobiles.