Japan’s international trade activity dipped 2.4% lower in January as an oil-price fuelled drop in imports offset a 6.4% improvement in export activity. The export increase was driven by a surge in semiconductor and semiconductor manufacturing equipment demand. Ironically the autos sector’s exports may have lost out due to the reduced availability of specific semiconductors with exports down by 5.8%. Japan’s export growth has lagged the global and Asian market average. Global exports from 31 countries plus the EU climbed 7.4% year over year in December, compared to Ja...