The volume of Japan's imports of crude oil from the Middle East fell by about two-thirds in April from a year earlier. That was due to the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Finance Ministry says the figure dropped 67.2 percent year-on-year to about 3.8 million kiloliters.

Shipments in the oil category that includes naphtha plunged by 79.4 percent. Liquefied natural gas from the region was down 76.1 percent.

To compensate, Japan sought to source oil products from other countries and regions.

Imports of crude oil from the United States rose 38.8 percent, while shipments of naphtha from the country grew exponentially.

The oil import figures were contained in the ministry's report on Japan's trade balance in April. Overall, the country posted a surplus of nearly 302 billion yen, or about 1.9 billion dollars, in the month.

The value of exports increased 14.8 percent, thanks to a rise in demand for semiconductor-related products. Imports were up 9.7 percent.