Japan has posted a record trade deficit in the first half of this year.

Japan’s Ministry of Finance reported a trade deficit of over two-point-nine trillion yen in the first half of 2012, the largest half-year deficit since related stats were first kept in 1979.

Analysts say the huge trade shortfall is attributable to a surge in the import of liquefied natural gas. Japan has increased the import of liquefied natural gas, which is used to fuel thermal power plants, since the operation of its nuclear power plants was put on hold following the nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.