Tokyo, Feb 10 (IANS): The Bank of Japan (BOJ) on Friday said the country's wholesale prices increased 9.5 per cent in January from a year earlier, as higher energy and raw material costs continued to be passed on by companies.

The prices of goods traded among companies rose for a 23rd successive month, the BOJ said, and came on the heels of a record 10.5 per cent jump in December 2022, reports Xinhua news agency.

Import prices in the recording period jumped 17.8 per cent from a year earlier, as the yen's weakness, although less than previous months compared to the US dollar, continued to inflate costs, the central bank said.

Export prices, in yen terms, were up 9.0 per cent in the recording period, the BOJ added.

The rise in the corporate goods price index was pushed up in particular by a jump in prices for commodities, including electricity, city gas and water surging 49.7 per cent, the central bank's data revealed.

Iron and steel climbed 19.2 per cent, while food and beverage prices were up 8.0 per cent in the recording period, the BOJ said.