JAPAN

Asian Imports Surge: The value of Japanese imports from China and Southeast Asia is expected to hit a record high this year, the Nihon Keizai newspaper said. Japan imported $7.76 billion in merchandise from China during the January-September period, about 90% of the value of Chinese imports for all of last year, the newspaper said. Imports from Southeast Asia were valued at $7.81 billion, about 80% of last year’s total. The increase in imports reflects the growing number of Japanese companies shipping products from Asian subsidiaries and joint ventures into Japan, the paper said.