TOKYO — Data from a Japanese auto industry association shows that China overtook Japan as the world’s largest vehicle exporter last year.

Exports of U.S. crude are nearing a record of 6 million barrels a day — flooding the market with oil and weighing on prices from Europe to Asia.

The U.S. trade deficit widened in July by less than forecast, reflecting an increase in exports of cars and services.

The U.S. trade deficit widened to a record last year on a surge in imports as American companies scrambled early on to ensure they had enough merchandise on hand to meet demand.

The U.S. exported a record amount of crude and fuel in mid-October, even as the East Coast grapples with shortages of both diesel and gasoline.

U.S. exports sank to the lowest in more than a decade while imports dropped as the coronavirus continued to curtail demand for goods and upset producers’ supply chains.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that farm exports to China, Mexico and Canada have been strong over the past 12 months, although some transportation and logistics providers told Transport Topics that their volumes weren’t as strong as the federal data would suggest.

The amount of time it took the average truck driver to do business at the two largest North America ports rose six minutes year-over-year in May due to backups at Total Terminals International, according to data from the Harbor Trucking Association.

The U.S. Export-Import Bank’s charter will lapse next week if the Republican-led Congress follows a path outlined by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell that would delay a vote on reauthorizing the bank until July.