TOKYO – Fresh government data released Wednesday by Japan’s Finance Ministry reveals that the world’s fourth-largest trading economy has logged its first monthly trade deficit in four months for May, as soaring demand for AI-related technology pushed up imports enough to offset double-digit growth in outbound shipments. Preliminary calculations show that Japan’s total exports climbed 17% year-on-year to 9.51 trillion yen, equivalent to roughly $59.4 billion, while total imports jumped 12.5% over the same period to 9.89 trillion yen ($61.8 billion). The gap between inbound and outbound trade left the country with a 378.6 billion yen ($2.4 billion) trade deficit.