1.   Other export earners, such as coffee and timber, remained stagnant, while imports continued to rise.

2.   Norman Willis, general secretary of the TUC, said the trade figures showed that imports were continuing to rise faster than export growth.

3.   And foreign beef, cars and clothing would still have a price advantage over domestic products in the Japanese market, meaning that imports could continue to make inroads.

4.   Exports were essentially unchanged, while imports continued to grow.

5.   If imports continue to outpace exports, the central bank could reverse itself and raise interest rates to cool the economy, analysts said.

6.   Imports continued to climb, reflecting strong consumer demand.

7.   Worldwide imports continue to flow into Japan.

8.   After months of rapid import growth, it is unclear whether imports will continue to rise at such a high rate, Kobayashi told reporters.

9.   Beddu, however, promised that imports would continue to flow in.