Japan's trade deficit with China in 2012 was 3,521.5 billion yen ($33.88 billion), an increase of 258.4 billion yen from 2011, Japan's Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

Worsening relations with China significantly reduced Japanese exports, the ministry said. Japan's exports shrank 2.7 percent year-on-year in 2012, while exports to China plunged 10.8 percent year-on-year. Automobile and auto parts exports to China were the most affected.

The ministry said that automobile exports to China decreased 52.8 percent year-on-year in December 2012.