Sony said it will raise its prices 5% to 12%.

The Japanese firm said the price increases on such items as videocassette recorders and color television sets are a direct result of the strengthening of the dollar against the Japanese yen. Though bad news for consumers accustomed to falling prices on VCRs and other products, such price increases on imported products were an intended result of the recent actions by Western nations to weaken the dollar and thus narrow the U.S. trade deficit.