Japanese bank lending rose 1.8% in July from a year earlier, accelerating from the previous month, as some companies borrowed more to meet rising raw material costs amid a surge in global commodity inflation, Reuters reported. Outstanding loans held by the country's four main categories of banks, including "shinkin" or credit unions, hit a record 588.232 trillion yen ($4.36 trillion), Bank of Japan (BOJ) data showed on Monday. The increase, which followed a revised 1.2% gain in June, reflected rising fund demand for property investment as well as mergers and acquisitions, a BOJ official told a briefing. Companies were also boosting lending to meet rising raw material costs and a re-opening of the economy as curbs to combat the COVID-19 pandemic are lifted, the official said. Total lending by major and regional banks rose 2.1% in July from a year earlier, accelerating from a 1.5% gain in June to mark the fastest year-on-year increase since May 2021, the data showed.
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