TOKYO, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Japan logged a goods trade deficit in July, according to a report by the Finance Ministry on Thursday.

The ministry said the goods trade deficit stood at 231.2 billion yen (2.09 billion U.S. dollars) in the recording period.

Exports rose 3.9 percent from a year earlier, the ministry said, following a 6.7 percent increase in June and missing median economists' forecasts of a 6.3 percent increase.

Imports, meanwhile, increased 14.6 percent in July the ministry's preliminary report said, marginally higher than median forecasts for a 14.4 percent increase.

Exports from Japan to China increased 11.9 percent on year and those to the United States dropped 5.2 percent in the recording period, the ministry's data showed.