AlQa'dah 04, 1436, August 19, 2015, SPA -- Japan reports that its trade deficit widened to its largest level in five months in July, as exports slowed and imports fell by less than forecast, according to AP. The 268.1 billion yen ($2.2 billion) deficit reported Wednesday compared with a deficit of 70.5 billion yen ($566 million) in June. Exports rose 7.6 percent to 6.7 trillion yen ($53.5 billion) while imports fell 3.2 percent to 6.9 trillion yen ($55.7 billion). Lower costs for imports of oil and gas have reduced Japan's trade deficit in recent months, and the deficit in July was 72 percent lower than the deficit a year earlier. However, imports have not fallen as much as expected, with weakness in the yen countering that trend.